Floursack
by Yami-chan and Unrealistic
Summary: By UR. Lilith has lived in the Ghost Zone for most of her life. She barely remembers her mother and never knew her father. Now fourteen years old, things she thought were fact begin to question themselves and life becomes decidedly more complicated.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Lilith has lived in the Ghost Zone for most of her life. She barely remembers her mother and never knew her father. Now she is 14 and starts learning she has living relatives and is quickly dragged into something she barely understands.**

**Why: A plot bunny that seriously would not leave my head until I did something about it. It's what I get for watching the World Cup and recovering from getting my wisdom teeth taken out. You start to think strange things.**

**Disclaimer: All properties of Danny Phantom are owned by Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon, not me. I'm just borrowing them for a time and adding to it. In the meantime I'll have Clockwork manipulate the time stream so they've got time to make more episodes then I'll make a well-planned wish…**

**Also, a big thank you to the people in the Danny Phantom section of I'm borrowing most of the quotes from them. Thanks for having those up! When I have nothing else to do I thoroughly enjoy reading them and they make great preludes to the chapter!**

**Chapter 1**

**Tucker:** _(After discovering that Sam has dressed up their flower sack like her)_ What have you done to our child! _(Marches over and takes the sack; puts a beret on it)_ Give him back! Its obvious Tucker Jr. needs a strong father!  
**Sam:** _(Takes sack back)_ No way! _Lilith_ needs to be in a nurturing environment, not some over-crowded baby barracks!

_"Tucker! Take Lilith and leave, quick, before he comes back!" The young woman said as she shoved the little girl into her friend's arms._

_"Mommy? What's going on?" The little girl asked, confused after the attack in the house. _

_"Sam, are you crazy? Where am I supposed to take her? There's nowhere to hide!" The man said frantically. _

_"I don't know, you usually think of something!" She yelled back._

_"Danny usually thinks of something..." The man said sadly. _

_"Well Danny's not here." The woman said forcefully, but with the same about of sadness. "I don't know! Take her to the Ghost Zone. I don't care. As long as he doesn't find out she exists, she'll be safe." She finally said for lack of any other plan._

_The man rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, the Ghost Zone. Great idea Sam. I can see it now, 'Look! A little female half-ghost! She must be his daughter!' And they'd be right, Sam. They'd tear her apart!"_

_The woman was silent for a moment, her face frozen in fear. "Did you just feel the temperature drop?" The man nodded with the same expression on his own face. _

_"Ah! Mommy my air is funny again!" The little girl said as a blue mist escaped her mouth, not knowing what the two adults in the room were so worried about._

_The adults exchanged a look. The woman spoke. "Hide her, Tucker. I'll stall him as long as I can."_

"Sam..."

_"Do it." Suddenly a large mist appeared in the room, but then the whole world was fuzzy. Nothing could be seen. Only screaming heard._

"AH!" Lilith, now in her teenage years, screamed as she shot up in her bed. Her alarm clock was beeping relentlessly beside her. She looked around. Her blue eyes found the familiar ectoplasmic cage surrounding her. She sighed. It was just a nightmare. She fell back down lazily as her black hair just became that much messier.

_"It was just that dream again..."_ She thought. It always began at the same spot and ended as the man, Tucker, left the room. She often wondered if that was really what had happened to her mother and her friend. Lilith wasn't one to believe that dreams could be anything more than just a figment of her imagination. Then again, she wasn't really one to talk about things being impossible.

Lilith looked over at her bed stand. She silenced the alarm clock that read 7:30 am. Next to it she gingerly picked up an old photograph. It was a picture of her mother in her teenage years. With her was the man, Tucker who was also in her dreams. The third and final figure was the man she presumed must be her father.

_"Danny."_ She thought fleetingly. _"My dad's name is Danny. My mother's name is Sam. Their friend is Tucker." _She repeated this silently then quietly out loud many times, as if she were afraid she would forget.

Lilith really didn't know why she was so obsessed with them. Logically, she knew they had to be all dead, but that didn't stop her from dreaming of the day when she would finally meet them-if they were still alive. Otherwise, she wouldn't still be living here. This thought reminded her to come back to reality.

"Oh no! It's Tuesday! I'm going to be late!" In a flourish Lilith threw off her bed covers and ran over to the chair for her desk where she had her clothes laid out for the day. She struggled humorously with her jean Capri's, slid on the red tank top and quickly put on the long-sleeved, white jacket. She put her hair into an acceptable ponytail and brushed her teeth, not bothering with breakfast. She slipped on her sandals, closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe.

"Okay, Lily, calm down. Today, you are Lilith Manson: human who has been home schooled for the past eight years. You are not a crazy half-ghost who lives in the Ghost Zone." She opened her eyes. She was still in her room.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" She asked no one in particular. Without much more than a thought, two white-blue rings suddenly appeared at her waist level. When the rings had disappeared again, she had transformed into her decidedly ghost half.

Walking leisurely over to the far side of the room she eyed the bars of the ectoplasmic cage critically. "Let's see, what shall I use today...?" Lilith thought to herself. Phasing her hand through the floor, her hand grabbed what she had been seeking. She tossed the small rock up and down for a bit, getting a feel for the weight, then she threw it over to a small, green button on the opposite wall. Instantly, the bars dissipated and Lilith walked out, content.

"I really _should _leave a note..." Lilith pondered, and then decided against it. "Meh, it's not like he doesn't know where I'll be anyway." Without another thought she flew off towards her destination.

As Lilith reached the familiar Fenton Portal, another very familiar figure was floating by it. She stopped by the figure and waved. "Hey Box Lunch. What's up?"

The teenage ghost rolled her eyes at her best friend. Not much had changed in the ghost's appearance since she was little. She was Lilith's height now, and roughly the same figure as well. She still had the signature hat, braces and overalls.

"I just wanted to say good luck and to be careful. I haven't been to the human world much, but my dad always says to beware. It's not the same as the Ghost Zone, Lily." Box Lunch said.

"I'll be fine. I'm pretty much a freak wherever I go." Lilith stressed. "I'll be careful. I can control my powers really well. No one will find out my secret." She promised.

Box Lunch sighed, if not a bit too dramatically. "Lily, you need this, very badly. You're not a ghost. You're human. You may have freaky ghost powers." She said waving her hands in a spooky fashion. "But you're still human and you've been seriously lacking the department of socializing with them. And don't you dare let your freaky sourpuss 'uncle' tell you otherwise." She finished, using air quotes.

Lilith grinned, knowing how much her friend disliked her primary guardian. "I know. You're welcome to come with, you know." She shot back.

Box Lunch looked torn for a second. "As much fun as it would be, my mom would kill me..."

"You're already dead." Lilith responded lightly.

"Figuratively Lily," Box Lunch said, annoyed. "You go. I'll see you after school gets out." She said with finality.

"Okay your loss, I'll see you later then!" Lilith yelled as she went through the portal.

"Beware!" Her friend shouted, really meaning to be careful, but it did not fall on ears because Lilith was already on the other side.

Lilith looked around at the basement laboratory. The house had been abandoned years back when the Fenton's had moved out to be closer to their college-bound children. No one had dared to buy it after all; it must be the most haunted place in Amity Park considering, they thought. With all the ghosts that had been captured and brought there.

Most of the ghost hunting equipment was gone, save for quite a few 'broken' inventions. The Op Center was gone. The Fenton's had used it to move. They had originally shut off the ghost portal, but Lilith and Box Lunch had done a little 'field trip' and got it up and going again. With Technus's help, of course.

For that reason and the fact that most of the lab was operational and that it was clean was mostly Lilith's fault. When she had nothing else to do, she would clean it and make sure the ecto-filtrator was changed every six months.

Today, however, Lily Manson was going to school. The Amity Park school system was long over-due for her enrollment.

In her human form, Lilith walked the halls of Casper High. She felt small and a bit claustrophobic. She had never been this close to so many humans before and it was a humbling experience to be at the same school her parents had gone to.

_"Remember, Lily. You're human too. Just like them...only with strange ghostly tendencies."_ She tried to convince herself after Box Lunch's little pep speech. Upon receiving her locker number and schedule for the year from the Administration office, she headed to her first class of the day.

_"American Literature: Mr. Jacob Lancer. Hmm, I wonder what that will be like..."_

"Hey, I've never seen you around before." Said a feminine voice from behind. Lilith turned around. A blonde haired girl stood next to another girl with cropped black hair. She was holding hands with a brown haired boy who was slightly taller than the three girls present.

It was the boy who really caught her attention. His red head band and punk clothes suggested he was different than the girls. In fact, he really didn't seem to like being there.

"Oh, I'm new here." Lilith said quickly. "I'm Lilith Manson. It's nice to meet you...?" She paused with her hand held out, hoping for a name in return.

"Stacy Hemming, remember it." She responded shortly. "This is Ami Colt and this, "Stacy said lovingly, "is my boyfriend, Ted Williams. Ted has his own band, right Ted?" Ted shifted uncomfortably under Stacy's seductive hold on his arm.

"Err, yeah. Kind of. It's just me and a CD recording..." Ted responded. "It's nice to meet you too Lilith." He said, finally shaking her outstretched hand the other girls had ignored. Lilith smiled.

Stacy grabbed his hand back in a fit of jealousy. "Come on. Lancer's class is going to start soon."

"You guys have Mr. Lancer first as well?" Lilith asked, hopeful she might have still a chance to have her first human friends.

"Yeah," Ami spoke for the first time. "I've heard he's really strict on tardies, so we'd better get going." Lilith nodded as she followed the three of them to a nearby classroom. "Oh, one more thing." The girl said to her. "Don't mind Stacy. She thinks our little group is the popular kids, but really we're more of a mix-breed, as you'll find out I'm sure. Stacy will warm up to you just as soon as she gets over her phase of dating Ted. In about a week or so they'll be back to just friends." She said as if speaking in a documentary.

"Uh sure." Lilith responded in a confused tone, but followed Ami into the classroom.

At the desk was and older man. He was bald, but his goatee was gray, suggesting that he had been teaching for a long time. Lilith walked up to him.

"Um, excuse me, Mr. Lancer?" He looked up to acknowledge her presence from the copy of _Othello_ he had been reading. "My name is Lilith Manson. I'm new here, so I don't really know what to do..."

For a moment the seasoned teacher studied her appearance. He smiled gently, as if in remembrance. "_Wuthering Heights_! I had figured it was about the time for their first child to come through...I always knew those two would get together..." He said cryptically. Lilith gave him a confused look.

_"He's not talking about my parents, is he?"_ Lilith shook the though out of her head. If he had been around, he most likely did. She smiled at the fact that maybe she could finally learn more about her parents' lives away from the ghost intervention.

"I'm sorry, Miss Manson. Once in a while I have those moments. You know you're old when you start getting children of your former students in class. Your seat is just over there." Lilith thanked him and sat down at her assigned seat.

_"This is going to take a lot of getting used to."_ Lilith thought as Mr. Lancer began to introduce himself to the class. She really had technically been home schooled, but certainly not on subjects such as American Literature.

Lilith couldn't help but notice that Ted was sitting in front of her. He was doodling on some paper and not really paying attention. _"I wonder what he's doing."_ For a split second, Lilith almost used her ghost powers to find out, then she realized where she was and her own words came back and hit her, _'I'm a freak wherever I go.'_

_"That's right. I can't let anyone know..."_ she thought sorrowfully. Not only would they freak out, her ghostly guardians would be really, really mad. That and despite having ghost powers all of her life, she really never used them too heavily. She had never had a need to. Her various adopted aunts and uncles had never shown her anything except love and kindness, or at the very least, their quirky versions of it.

_"They trust me enough to interact in the human world. I can't let them down..."_ Were her last thoughts of home before her focus was again on Mr. Lancer as he spoke about Walden.

Her second class of the day was a Computer skills course. Lilith already had good experience with computers and figured she would have no problem with this class.

As she listened to some music through her headphones, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Ted standing behind her. In a fluster, she hastily took the headphones off to face him.

"Ted! Hi, I didn't know you had this class!"

The boy laughed. "It's a required course. Is this seat taken?" He asked, pointing to the seat next to her. When Lilith shook her head, he sat down.

"It's...Lilith, right?" He asked.

She didn't know why she was so caught up in the moment. She barely registered that he had asked her a question. "Uh, yes, it is. But most people I know call my Lily."

"It's a pretty name." He said sincerely, logging into his account.

Lilith blushed. She didn't know why. _"Good grief! If I'm going to be like this every time I meet a human boy, I'm going to be permanently red in the face!"_

"So, where are Stacy and Ami?" Not knowing where else to take the conversation.

Ted cringed. "They don't have this class this period, thank goodness. Ami can be really nice if she wants to, but Stacy is...well, she's usually off in her own little world. She's a really great friend; we just have to deal with some of her 'phases'. Ami at least keeps her in line most of the time."

"Oh. So uh, she said you had a band. What instrument do you play?" Lilith asked, trying to move along the conversation as she worked on some typing exercises.

"I play guitar mostly. But I can play keyboard, drums and bass too." Ted smiled.

"Wow! You're a one-man-band!" Lilith exclaimed.

Ted laughed at the joke. "Yeah. My parents are both musicians. I took piano lessons when I was really little and I play the string bass in orchestra here at school. I learned guitar and drum on my own and from my parents."

"You're really lucky to have such great parents." Lilith said, a bit sad thinking about how she had never really known her own parents.

"So what do you like to do in your spare time?" Ted asked.

Lilith froze. What was she going to tell him? _"What do I say? That I practice shooting ecto-blasts and hang around with my best friend, haunting buildings for fun?"_

"I, uh...usually don't do much. I hang out with my family a lot..." Well, that wasn't exactly a lie...

"That's cool. Hey, I've got to go to the bathroom quick; I'll be right back, 'kay?"

"Okay." Lilith responded without much conviction. She was sad that he was leaving..._"He'll be right back you knucklehead!"_ She sighed and put her headphones back on.

Suddenly her computer short-circuited. She jumped back momentarily, but as the screen turned green and a blue mist escaped her mouth, she only narrowed her eyes in annoyance. A pair of sunglasses appeared and a mouth along with it.

"Hiya kiddo, doin' okay?" Said the computer voice.

Lilith rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Technus..."

"2.0!"

"Shhhh! Not so loud! No one is going to find out my secret, but if you all try to spy on me some one is going to get suspicious." She scolded.

Technus gave an annoying 'Ha' for a laugh. "It's the ghost capital of the world, so it is fine, if I, Technus 2.0, spy on you for a little while."

Lilith growled. "You're all just a bunch of obsessive little..."

"Uh, Lily, who are you talking to?"

Lilith quickly stood up in front of the computer screen before Ted could see anything more unusual. "Nobody! Just myself. It's a bad habit." She smiled fakely. Ted seemed to buy the excuse and continued to work at his own computer.

Lilith dared a look back at her own computer. Technus was gone. _"Most likely got himself lost in the Internet again..." _Lilith thought sorely. If so, she wouldn't see him for at least another week.

At lunch, Lilith couldn't help but laugh as the lunch ladies reminded her all too much of her best friend's mother. She also learned that lunch was a class of its own. The objective of the class was to socialize with friends. Lilith really didn't have any friends. If you failed in this objective, you were forced to sit at the oldest table in the cafeteria, alone.

Lilith really didn't have much of a choice nor did she know the rules of classroom conduct in the cafeteria. She walked up to the table where Stacy, Ted and Ami were sitting and chatting with another friend of their's. Ted was in a conversation with what looked like an athlete.

"Umm, excuse me..." The group turned towards her, waiting for her to speak. "I uh, would you guys mind if I sat here today?"

Before Stacy could say anything, the male athlete stood up and took her hands dramatically. Lilith thought this was a bit weird, but when he started to speak she felt thoroughly creped out.

"O shimmering beauty from afar! Where have you been to torture mine eyes without the sight of your flawless face?" The blonde athlete recited.

"Err…" Was Lilith's intelligent response.

Ami and Ted grabbed hold of him and dragged him back down to his seat.

"You can sit over here, Lily." Ami said, motioning to the spot next to her. "Don't mind Cam. He does this to every girl he meets. Once you get to know him he'll be normal." Lilith nodded dumbly.

"_Boy I wish I had their definition of normal…"_ She thought.

The five kids sat and talked for the rest of lunch. Lilith noticed that Stacy seemed a bit leery of her, but Ami, Ted and Cam all seemed to be nothing but nice to her.

"_I'm actually having a normal conversation with other kids my age! This is better than I'd ever thought this would be."_

"Hey, Lily!" Came Ted's voice. "We're all going out to the Nasty Burger after school. You wanna come?"

"Ye…" She stopped herself. _"I told Box Lunch I would meet her after school…and I'd get in trouble if I didn't go home first and then just up and left without telling anyone…"_

"I'm sorry, I have plans after school. Maybe some other time?" She asked hopefully.

"Anytime you feel in the need for a good greasy meal, here's my phone number." Cam said as he produced a business card with his name and phone number on it. Lilith laughed half-heartedly. Ami had been right; he must do this a lot. It read, 'Cameron Baxter: 555-9642.

Suddenly, the school alarm started to scream loudly. Immediately all the students began to file out of the cafeteria.

"What's going on?" Lilith asked.

"A Ghost Drill." Ted answered. "Amity Park is ghost central. You never know when there will be an attack."

"An attack…but why would they…" Lilith was confused. She just couldn't see any of her surrogate family attacking a town like that...well, maybe she could… but that was beside the point. _"All the time I've known them they've never attacked the human world. Even if they had in the past, why would the school still have ghost drills?"_

As all the children made it outside in record time, Lilith watched with the other students as a woman in a red suit came flying in towards the adults.

"That's Valerie Gray." Ted explained upon seeing the confused look on Lilith's face. "After the Fenton's left, she's the only ghost hunter left in town. Don't worry, if there is a ghost attack, she'd have the ghost destroyed in no time."

This only turned Lilith's confused expression to one of worry and horror. This was the last thing she needed.

"I still think it's stupid." Stacy said. "Ghosts haven't been around ever since Danny Phantom disappeared. Good riddance."

"Danny Phantom?" Lilith remembered the name. There were few ghosts who called him that. It was always 'Ghost-boy', 'Whelp' or something ridiculous like that. But he wasn't a boy anymore.

None of the ghosts knew where he was or what happened to him. They had told her who he really was, a half ghost like herself. He was her father. The fact that the two of them shared the same unusual abilities was really the only thing she knew about him. That and the fact that none of her ghost family really liked him much.

"Yeah, the ghost kid of Amity Park. While there used to be a lot of ghosts around, he would always be there, usually fighting them. He was the town hero." Ted further explained.

Lilith had figured as much. The only reason she had the picture of her parents and friend was because she had found it full of dart holes in Skulker's living room right next to an equally holey picture of a purple-back gorilla. That and the way the ghosts spoke about him in contempt.

She tried to keep her thoughts from distracting her from school. Lilith really didn't want to blow this chance. Besides, she'd have her questions answered afterwards.

As the school day ended she said good-bye to her new group of friends as they headed off to the Nasty Burger. She walked away towards the old Fenton house. When she was sure no one was looking she transformed into her ghostly self and flew off.

**A/N: Well, there you go. I know the whole next generation thing has been done before, but all the same I hope people enjoy this. The plot may seem predictable later, but by then I hope you like it enough to keep reading.**

**I sincerely ask for reviews. I just started college a long way from home and I'm missing everyone terribly. Your reviews would make feel even just a bit better, whether its helpful criticism or just a sentence telling me you liked it. I've only been a fan of the show for literally three months so I hope this is up to par for the rest of you. **

**Yami-chan thinks I'm crazy for doing this. I think I agree. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

'**Life Lessons' was a _major_ inspiration for this fic. The quote this chapter actually is what really got me thinking 'what if'. The name Lilith was just conveniently there. Not my first choice of name, but obviously Sam's.**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

**PS: I _love_ messing with Skulker. He's one of my favorite villains. Am I the only one who thinks of Jumanji whenever I see or read about him? Kinda like how I associate Walker with Chuck Norris…hehe. **

**Skulker:** Now, before I destroy you both, I must know what is so valuable about this package!  
**Valerie:** It's not the package that's valuable; it's how you take care of it that counts!  
**Danny:** And dude, you're a horrible mother!

Flying was much more preferable to walking. In fact Lilith distinctly remembered learning to fly before she learned to walk. Living in the Ghost Zone had only increased her love for it. It was almost second nature to talking.

Taking a detour Lilith flew up high. Flying in the human world was different. No strange doors, no other ghosts. It was just her and empty clear sky. She took a long deep breath just for further enjoyment.

Finally deciding that it was time to head back she allowed herself to freefall down towards the Fenton's old house and phased through into the lab basement, did a quick turn at full speed and went through the portal.

Feeling refreshed she soon found herself landing on the large island in the middle of the Ghost Zone that she called home. She pushed the large branches and bushes out of her way as she walked towards the giant skull that acted as a mansion. Lilith stopped as she saw a circle of leaves that looked a little suspicious.

Lilith smiled. "He still thinks he can catch me with that trick?" Then she frowned. Skulker wouldn't come out and stop chasing her until she got herself caught in a trap. She really didn't feel like doing this today…

So Lilith stepped into what she knew was a trap and sure enough she was hoisted up by her feet and soon hanging upside down. She crossed her arms, waiting for Skulker to come out and gloat or something. After a few minutes, he still hadn't come.

"What's going on here?" Lilith wondered out loud. She brought herself up and climbed up on the tree using the same rope her leg was trapped in. Once she was on the branch, she untied the rope and jumped down.

Not knowing what else to do Lilith continued to make her way to the giant skull. Once inside, she made her way off to the right. This was where Skulker kept most of his collection of rare and unique creatures, mostly poor little ghosts who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lilith walked into it and up to one of the cages. In it was a tiny ghost creature. "Hey little guy, miss me?" She said as she opened the cage to hold the little animal. It purred in her arms. "I'll bet you haven't been fed yet, have you?" She asked, knowing although the creature couldn't answer, that she was right.

She grabbed a handful of food out of a large bag in the corner of the room. The creature ate it up right away from her hand.

"You really shouldn't have to be here…none of you." Lilith said sadly to the ghost animal. She wanted to let it go along with the rest of the various ghost creatures that were locked up and had actually done so on several occasions.

But there was a reason why Skulker was the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. He would always find them again or stop her before she could let them go.

"You're not really going to try that stunt again Ghost-child." More of a statement than a question Lilith sighed and turned around to put the creature back in its cage.

"No, just thinking." She said, standing up and walking out of the room.

"I know that look." He said. She stopped in her tracks. "You get it whenever you start thinking about the humans. I _knew_ this whole school thing was bad idea…"

"No!" Lilith responded, a bit panicked. She did not want to lose her only chance at a semi-normal human life. "I'd never leave, Skulker. You know that. This is the only home I've ever known…" She said a bit desperately.

"Yes, but remember you're more important than you give yourself credit for, Whelp. A hybrid like you is extremely rare." Skulker said as he checked some of his equipment.

Lilith sighed sadly. _"Why can't it be that they care about me for a reason other than being half-ghost? Is that so hard to ask for…?"_

"So, are you ready for the hunt?" Skulker asked, grinning.

"I thought we had already started." Lilith responded. "I came home about ten minutes ago and you weren't around. Where were you? You're always here when I get back."

Skulker seemed caught off-guard for a moment. He beat around the bush, as if he really didn't want to answer that question. He settled for, "I was on the hunt, as usual."

Lilith looked around. "You didn't bring any poor defenseless creature back." She said accusingly.

"Not for ghosts, for materials. I was asked by someone to gather a few things." Skulker said, annoyed.

"Huh, but you _never_ do things for other ghosts." Lilith was confused.

"For your information, Whelp, he is a human, not a ghost." Skulker said sore that he felt compelled to tell her his business. Now Lilith was even more confused. "Never mind that, I'll give you a five minute head start today. I want to try out my new tracking device."

"Skulker…I'm really not in the mood today and I really need to talk with you." Pause "About my parents…."

"Your five minutes start now." Knowing there was nothing she could do about Skulker when he was 'hunting', she gave a heavy sigh and then ran off into the island's forest to find a good hiding spot.

Skulker wanted a hunt. He never specified how long. And after ten years of living with him and playing this upgraded version of 'hide and seek', she almost knew him like a book. She settled down toward the edge of the island and leaned against a tree. Now all she had to do was wait.

Lilith had been planning to just sit there, but when she spotted a trap that looked like it had been forgotten years ago, a mischievous gleam came to her eyes.

Five short minutes later, Skulker was not pleased. His tracking device had worked perfectly. He had found Lilith rather quickly. It was what happened next that was the cause of his annoyance.

"You really should have an antidote for those things." Lilith suggested as she attempted to pry all of the stun darts from his body. When she was finished she sat down at a nearby tree, waiting for the effects of the darts to wear off.

"Nose itches." He said simply. Lilith found a small tree branch and ended up scratching so hard she made a dent in the armor. "If I had known you were going to be this childish today I would have put you in your cage and be done with it."

"What, you're not even going to ask me how my first day of school was?" She asked innocently with a knowing smile.

"I still haven't figured out how you manage to escape! What do you do? I finally found a flawless design for your cage!" He said indignantly.

Lilith sighed. "It's my room." She said corrected automatically. "You do know that you put the power buttons within my sight every time you upgrade it. I've been throwing stuff at it ever since I figured out it was the power source. It's only a ghost shield after all. I keep telling you but you never _listen_." She humored him.

"You're just like your father, childish and resourceful." Skulker said in annoyance more than anything. He was just starting to get feeling back in his fingers. Lilith perked up at this statement.

"Hey Skulker, do you think you could tell me about my parents? What they were like and all that." She asked.

"What brought this about? I've told you everything I know." He said, stretching his arms out.

"No not about _that_, just their personalities. What they were like? What did they do to just hang out together?" Lilith asked again.

"I don't know." Skulker said in his annoyed tone. "I presume they were like any other normal humans." He paused for a moment. "I knew you were going to be like this."

"Huh, what do you mean?' Lilith asked, as Skulker got up. He was still a little sore, but the effects had worn off enough so he could move.

"I mean when you got older, Whelp, I knew you were going to be like this, asking all these questions. Remember, I only kept you for one reason."

"I know." She replied sadly with a hint of disappointment. They'd had this talk before.

"Your father disappeared out of thin air. No one knew where he had gone." Lilith was silent as she let Skulker talk while they walked back to the house. "I can only presume that your mother and her friend were killed since I found you next to the portal hiding behind the cabinets."

"You've told me all that before. But who could have done all of that? Do you think that it's all connected with my dad's disappearance and all?"

"_Yes."_ Skulker thought to himself, although he would never tell her that.

"Skulker, what's wrong? You're spacing out, that's not like you." Lilith said as they entered the house.

"Do you have homework to do?" He asked. Lilith shook her head. "Then it's time to go back in your cage. I have some things I need to take care of." He said. Lilith groaned.

"Do I have to?" She whined. "I told Box Lunch I'd hang out after I got out of school. And I'd really like to be able to hang out with some of the human kids after school sometime."

"I don't care, just as long as you come back here every day. No late night parties. No romantic relationships. We've discussed this before. You can't afford to get too attached. We agreed four years and that's it." Skulker told her sitting on the large couch in the living room.

Lilith looked around nervously. Even after ten years, this room still sent chills up her spine. Knowing her father could have been one of those unfortunate beings on that wall didn't help either. "Why can't I live a normal life? I've barely had a chance to get used to being human. I was human first, ghost second. Why do I have to live in reverse of that?" She questioned. She knew the answer and almost took it all back because she didn't want to hear it again.

"Because I am not your parent, Whelp!" He almost exploded. "I am the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. You are my replacement _specimen_ when your father became unobtainable. That is the one and only reason I kept you. I continue to keep you alive because you help me hone my skills as my other prey can't do that."

Lilith lay sprawled out on the floor. She had heard this a thousand times and it never felt good to hear it. "Are you _sure_ that's the only reason? Wasn't I cute or something? Did you feel sorry for me at all?" She asked with pleading eyes. _"I don't care what the other reason is, I just want there to be one."_

Skulker sighed. He hated this. Initially the fact that she was the Whelp's daughter _was _the only reason. If he couldn't have the Ghost-child, she was the next best thing. But he had to admit he'd grown fond of her. After ten years it was hard not to.

"Come here, Child." He said. He never called Lilith by her name. A habit as he had always thought of her as his pet. A habit he would probably never break.

Lilith quietly sat next to him on the couch. "I'm just sick of being the only one." She said sadly and almost in tears, hugging Skulker's metal body suit. There was no need to clarify what she meant by 'the only one'.

"Look, you know I'm not good at saying these things, but you're used to it by now." He said, talking her arms off of him. He didn't do hugs. Especially from a being he was supposed to be keeping behind bars. "You're the ultimate prize for a hunter such as myself. I may care for the wrong reason in your eyes, but I don't want to see any harm come to you…unless it is myself inflicting it." He added the last part as almost an afterthought.

Lilith nodded in understanding. "I know." She smiled despite everything. "But you know I wouldn't trade my life with anyone. I mean, when I was little I would have never been able to hide my powers for long, especially since I don't have any living relatives. I was really lucky when you found me."

If Lilith had been watching she would have noticed the slightest twinge of guilt in Skulker's face. He looked about to say something for about a millisecond, but then decided against it.

There was silence as the two watched the fire with their own thoughts. "You mentioned you and the Pest were going to do something?" Box Lunch's dislike for Skulker was mutual.

Lilith perked up again. "Yeah! Yesterday Box Lunch said she found this great house to haunt for a night. We were going to check it out."

"Go." Was all he said before she was out the door. She quickly yelled back a 'see you later' as the door slammed. She really was something else. Horribly optimistic that girl was, though Skulker was just fine with that so long as she didn't run away…again. He grimaced as he thought back to that particular incident. He'd never thought too much of it. She had only been seven years old.

Within moments of her departure Skulker received a familiar phone call. "Skulker here." He said. A picture of another ghost appeared on his wrist screen. His vampire teeth showed as he smiled.

"Ah, just the ghost I wanted to see. I wanted to thank you for retrieving the objects in question for me." Skulker winced. He knew exactly why Plasmius wanted those objects. The eldest half-ghost's agenda had not changed at all.

"Glad I could help." He said. Plasmius hadn't called just to say thank you. Skulker really didn't want to know why, so he kept the conversation simple.

"Well, I'm a very busy man as you know. I do lead two lives after all and Daniel gets rather ornery when I leave him by himself for too long." He grinned. "I'll be keeping in touch." His face vanished.

Skulker narrowed his eyes. "It's better this way." He thought out loud. "Plasmius gets what he wants and I get what I want. He can't have what he does not know exists." Skulker sighed. He knew what he had to do; he just didn't want to do it.

Meanwhile, his charge was off doing what teenage girls did best. Talk.

"Beware!" Lilith jumped as Box Lunch came out from behind a door.

"Don't do that!" Lilith yelled, knowing it was futile.

Box Lunch laughed. "So, are you coming? There's a group of tourists at the place I found. It's perfect to unleash my home-baked cookies of doom!" Acting on her childish impulses at the moment and partly mocking her parents. She was constantly trying to avoid being just like them, but found it almost impossible to add a 'beware' or a 'doom' in almost everything she said.

Lilith dragged her friend off. "I think you need to get some better catchphrases." She said.

"So how was school?" Box Lunch smirked. "Meet any guys?" She said slyly.

Lilith blushed when she thought about Ted and Cam, but mostly about Ted. "Of…of course I did! Half of the school is male!" She blabbed.

Box Lunch rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean and it looks to me like you did! Come on, what's he like?"

"But…I'm not allowed to have a boyfriend. It's pointless, don't even tempt me." Lilith said disappointed as Box Lunch opened the door they were headed towards.

Box Lunch thought for a moment then put a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "You know…what Skulker doesn't know can't hurt him…"

Lilith panicked, shaking her head furiously to bring home the point. "You're not serious, are you? If anyone found out, I'd be dead! Skulker would skin me alive! I'm not kidding about that either!"

"Look, I'm just saying that you need this. More than you think. You were born human and you need human companions. Just me isn't going to cut it. Bucket-head can't stop you." Box Lunch said plainly. She was getting a little tired of trying to convince her best friend that her current living situation was not what she was meant for.

"It doesn't matter. This is way too fast. It's probably just a phase I'm going through. I'm sure all it is, is a petty little crush. I'll get over it." Lilith assured her.

"Oh, Dipstick Jr. has a crush? This I have to hear about." Said a new voice as the ghost soon materializing in front of the two girls.

"It's nothing, Ember. It was my first day at high school. I just met a cool group of kids and two of them _happen_ to be guys." Lilith defended.

"Tell me more." Ember prompted, grinning evilly.

Lilith rolled her eyes, but Box Lunch was settling down and looking for a good story as well. "Traitor" She said under her breath.

But before she could start another voice interrupted her. Lilith sighed in relief for just a second before she realized who it was.

A ghost in a white suit was floating with the three girls, with his nose in a giant book. "Hmm, loitering next to a human world portal…" He said, and then closed the book and looked at them. "I think that's against the rules."

"Walker!" The three shouted at once, all very annoyed.

Ember was the first to speak after that. "Look Warden -boy, I don't think sitting around and talking is in this dumb book." She said as she took it away from him and paged through it carelessly.

"Stealing the Warden's possessions does happen to be in this 'dumb book'." He said, taking it back. "Are you and I going to have a problem?"

Ember rolled her eyes, but only to let Box Lunch and Lilith see. The two younger girls snickered. Walker had only put Ember behind bars once and it had been a laughable experience throughout the Ghost Zone. She had tried to put on a concert for the other prisoners and several mosh pits had started up as a result. Even though it had been decidedly against the rules, Walker let her go mostly because he hated rock music and partly because it was causing a distraction to his work.

"Fine, I'll see you next week Warden-boy. You've got quite a large number of my fan base in that prison of yours and I have to keep my fans happy." She said as she disappeared. Walker growled in annoyance. He decided to take it out on the two remaining kids, who had stopped laughing when they saw the look he was giving them.

"I presume this belongs to you?" Walker asked Skulker as he pointed down at a very unhappy Lilith.

"I know the way home. You didn't have to bring me all the way here." She pouted.

"Don't talk back Punk, it's against the rules." Lilith growled and clenched her fists. Dropping her on the doormat, he left.

"You're lucky he didn't throw you in prison, Whelp. That's what the…?" Skulker said, walking back into the lair.

Lilith ignored him to a point. "The twenty-fourth time this year. I'm going to bed." She said simply as she changed back into her human form for the night. _"I have school tomorrow. I can't let something like this get under my skin. Even if Walker is a jerk."_

She walked over to her dresser and proceeded to put on her pajamas. After that she climbed into bed and set her alarm for tomorrow morning. Snuggling in, she shut her eyes. A few feet away she heard the familiar hum of the ectoplasmic cage being turned on and the lights off.

"Good night." She said just loud enough. She didn't receive an answer. Not that she was expecting one.

She rolled over to one side and sighed. It was at times like this Lilith almost wished she had a normal family. But it was the one thing she knew she could never have.

She fell asleep not noticing her teary eyes.

**A/N: braces herself I did warn you all that it was a clichéd plot…**

**I had a tough time with this chapter, mostly trying my hardest to keep Skulker in character. To some extent it was easy in others hard. **

**Now raise your hands honestly. Who hates Skulker with a burning passion now? Trust me this is nothing compared to what's going to happen next.**

**The main point to this chapter was _not_ that Danny is alive. (Yes, that's what that line meant) The main point of this chapter was to make irony from the quote of the chapter. That and he _is_ the most likely candidate for taking Lilith in when you really think about it.**

**A big thank you to my reviewers. You all rock, seriously. I've_ never_ gotten that many reviews for one chapter before. Thanks to Blue, dannynsam4ever, KHFREAK14, dessyweird51, DP fan and Pterodactyl. Since I'm a broke college student I have nothing to give you but all the love and thanks in the world.**

**I should tell you all that I'm almost done typing this story. I have half a chapter and an epilogue to do. And boy oh boy are you going get an epilogue…I just have to struggle with the end of chapter 12 first. But even though I'm almost done, if you guys have ideas to add or toss around I will consider them. Who knows, they may make it into the epilogue. **

**Oh, and most stuff you wanted to know is in my bio. Take a peak at it. Yami-chan and I have tons more fics on there too; we've both been at it since 2001. I was in Jr. High…next year I won't even be a teenager anymore…man I'm old…**

**I guess I'll update about once a week if that's okay with you guys. That'll give me just enough time to finish the story.**

**Until next time,**

**Unrealistic :-)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Well…I think this is the last 'let's hate Skulker chapter'. It's the flashback. I can't seem to hate him though, he's way too funny. Hate Vlad instead. Although, I find can't really do that either…ah, well.**

**This is a short chapter comparatively, but chapter five will make up for this, I promise. _Everything_ happens in chapter five. **

**As for the quote, I'm not sure if it's totally correct. I haven't seen the episode in a while and I can't find the script anywhere so it's from my memory only. I'm pretty sure it's only off by a couple of words, but if it _really _bugs you, let me know. But, you all get the gist of it…**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one**

**Valerie: **But I never thought a ghost could be anything other than bad news

**Danny: **Well, maybe you never bothered to get to know one.

"_Tucker! Get her out of here!"_

"_Mommy, my air is funny!"_

"_Sam…"_

"_Uncle Tucker, where are you?" Asked the little girl from behind the cabinet. She waited. She waited for a very long time. She was hungry and bored, but she had been told not to leave the laboratory. And she was afraid to go upstairs. There were strange things going on._

_After a very, very long time of waiting something came out of the ghost portal. The little girl was curious and looked._

_The large and intimidating figure floated around the lab, as if looking for something. In her mind she registered him as a ghost. She was so entranced that the girl forgot that she had exposed herself. _

_The ghost caught sight of her, but besides giving her a brief look over he continued to look around the lab and ignored her._

_Without much fear the girl stood up and approached the large ghost, who was looking in the storage cabinets. She touched his arm to grab his attention like she did with her mother. It was metal._

"_Excuse me Mr. Ghost…?" She began hesitantly. He turned to face her. "Do…do you know where my uncle is? He was supposed to come back and…"_

"_I don't know where he is child. Leave me be." He interrupted her._

_After a few moments the girl responded back. "Oh." She sounded disappointed. "What'cha looking for?" Now she was curious once more as she began to follow him around the lab._

_He sighed as if realizing that he might be able to enlist the girl's help. "I am looking for a bazooka weapon, capable of opening a hole into the Ghost Zone."_

_The little girl thought for a moment. She tapped her temple to accentuate the point. "Grandpa and Grandma have it, I think. But I don't think Mommy would be very happy if you stole it. Stealing isn't very nice." She lectured._

_The ghost sighed heavily. "Where do your grandparents live, child?"_

"_I'm not telling." She sang stubbornly, a little smile appearing on her face as if she was ready to play._

_The ghost in the metal suit however, was not in the mood to play. He wrapped her tiny body in his hands forcefully. "Tell me now, whelp!"_

_The girl was frightened by this action and at first it seemed she didn't know what to do, but instead of going into tears she surprised him by turning invisible and then slipping out of his hands. _

"_How did…?" The ghost was at a loss for words. This did not happen to him often. He recalled her features and grinned. "Then it is time for the Skulker to hunt a new target for now." He took out his binoculars and scanned the room. Sure enough, the signature of an invisible ghost was in the room. _

_He continued grinning as the invisible girl ran up the stairs and phased through the door. She was certainly frightened enough now. She didn't stop running until she was in the guest bedroom on the second floor where she hid under the bed. She regained visibility and backed up against the wall, hoping whatever ghost that was, wouldn't find her._

_It was too much to hope for as the ghost in the metallic suit came up through the floor. His head emerged first in front of her, still underneath the bed. "Hello Ghost-child." The girl emitted a terrified yelp and immediately wished she could take it back. He then came out to float next to the bed._

"_Come out Child, if you cooperate I won't have to kill you."_

_Not knowing what else to do and not really knowing what 'cooperate' meant, the girl came out from under the bed. She _had_ recognized the word 'kill'. The ghost noted gleefully that she was very afraid. "What do you want?" She asked, backed up against the bed and shaking all over._

"_You're half ghost, aren't you?" He asked grinning, squatting to get closer to her level and took delight in already knowing the answer. "Where is your father?"_

_The girl's eyes widened as she backed up against the bed frame. It seemed to answer the question in itself. She was very uncomfortable under the ghost's calculating eye. "Here, let me see your ghost form." He prompted. _

"_Mommy...my Mommy said not to ever show anybody." She protested softly. _

"_Well, it doesn't matter now that I know, now does it? Go on Ghost-child. If I'm going to get a good hunt out of this, we may as well do it properly." _

"_It's Lilith." She said suddenly in a scolding manner, but her voice still had a little bit of a crack to it._

"_What?" The ghost asked with a hint of annoyance. Mostly that she wasn't as frightened anymore._

"_My name," She repeated as if it were obvious. "It's Lilith Manson. But Mommy says we can change our name again when the fruit-loops give Daddy back." She told the ghost, as if what she was saying was the most important thing in the world. "I keep telling the box let Daddy out, but they never let him…" She finished sadly. _

_The ghost sighed; he would have to do some investigating once he got back to his lair and then have a talk with his boss. "Very well Ghost-child, will you change your appearance so that I can hunt you now?"_

"_But my name…" She started with a confused brow._

_A glowing green blade snapped open from a compartment in the armor of the ghost's left_

_arm. Very quickly the girl found the blade dangerously close to her neck. "I don't _care_ what your name is. Change, now." He repeated._

_The girl was taken aback and more than slightly frightened, her eyes looked cross-eyed as they remained on the blade. Not given much of a choice in the matter she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate, like her mother had told her to do, although it was a bit hard with the threat of certain death looming over her._

_Soon the familiar white-blue lights appeared and the larger ghost looked her over again. All of his suspicions were finally confirmed as he saw the all too familiar white hair and green eyes, as well as the eyesore that was the symbol on the front of her black and white patterned suit._

"_Well, I came here for a weapon and here I gain a new pet. This was much more rewarding than I expected." Then he paused and retracted the blade, then spoke to the cowering girl as he stood up again. "Of course, I still need to have your father's pelt on my wall." He said as an afterthought._

_The girl didn't know what he was talking about, but after the last outburst he'd had after she had spoken she was scared to say anything. _

"_Come on now; let's get you to your new home then." He said, picking her up in his arm. Panicking the girl simply flew out of his arms and went through the wall into the next room. _

"_I live with my mommy!" She said defiantly. This had finally gotten way too freaky for her and her mother _had_ given her permission to use her powers in case of emergencies. This was definitely an emergency._

_The ghost smiled. "Well, maybe it won't be as easy as I thought. Time to hunt." He followed her._

_He was faster than her, being older and with more experience. Time passed quickly and soon the girl found herself falling to the ground in a strange blue net. The ghost chasing her caught her before she hit the ground. She tried to escape, but wasn't powerful enough to break out._

_The ghost seemed amused at her struggling. "You can stop resisting now. That net was made for ghosts ten times more powerful than you."_

_She stopped squirming with downcast eyes and the ghost took it as a sign of victory. He flew her back down to the basement laboratory and took her through the ghost portal. Once in the Ghost Zone the girl screamed, fear never leaving her eyes. She had obviously never been here before. _

_He ignored her just barely audible sobs until he reached his destination, a large island with a giant skull peaking over the dense forest. He released her from the net once on the ground. The girl got a good look at her surroundings, whimpered, but did not say anything. The fact that she wasn't crying heavily made the ghost happy he wouldn't have to be dealing with it. But for such a small child he was impressed. _

"_Perhaps you will make a good replacement for now. You've got _some_ backbone at least." He noted, taking careful observation. The girl didn't respond, but instinctively took a handful of net and dirt in one hand as sort of a stress reliever. She was trying not to look at the ghost too much._

"_I wasn't expecting to bring a specimen home, so I don't have a cage ready for you. In the meantime I'll just have to trust you won't run off." The girl responded to this by wrapping her arms around his leg. She didn't mean to let go. Even if he had kidnapped her, yelled at her and brought her to this creepy place, he was the only person she knew in these strange surroundings._

"_Don't you have anything to say, Whelp?" The ghost was so used to the so called 'witty banter' that he almost expected it._

"_I'm hungry." She said quietly, once again noticing her empty belly. She decided not to mention her name again in fear of getting yelled at._

_The vision faded out and the figures became blurred, soon all that was left was an annoying humming noise…_

Lilith groaned as she opened her eyes. Her alarm was blaring, but at least it was louder than the humming noise she'd been hearing all night.

"It's been a while since I had that dream…" She muttered to herself. She didn't have many distinct memories from her childhood, but meeting Skulker had been a pretty life-altering event.

She literally rolled out of bed as she shut off her alarm. Lilith went through her normal morning routine, this time with a little excitement. Now she actually had a reason to get up every morning since she started school. She was glad that she would be able to hang out with her new friends.

After getting ready, she transformed into ghost mode and phased her hand through the floor, looking for another one of the small rocks she had stored underneath her. Before she could grab one, the humming stopped.

Lilith looked up to see that Skulker had already pressed the button for her. "If you're going to leave Whelp, I'd rather you leave when I let you." He offered as an explanation.

She smiled and couldn't suppress a laugh. "I'll see you after school!" She called as she flew away.

"So, who's ready for the first dance of the school year!" Stacy said in a sing-song voice. It was a month after school had started and everyone could tell that she was speaking of the Homecoming dance. Ami, who was sitting next to her, sighed.

"Let me guess, you've somehow wormed your way onto the committee again, just like you were in Jr. High?" She asked in a bored tone. Stacy glowed with pride as her answer.

"So, what do you guys usually do at dances?" Lilith asked innocently. "It sounds like fun."

Cam sprayed his mouth with some kind of special chemical, supposedly to make his breath smell better. "Socialize, meet pretty girls, dance, meet pretty girls, bug the chaperones and meet pretty girls." He listed.

"Cam" Ted said in the bored tone Ami had just demonstrated, with an elbow resting on the lunch table. "You said 'meet pretty girls' three times."

Cam shrugged. "It's my favorite part of being a teenager. So, are we going in the same pairs as usual?"

"Not me." Ami said, getting a bit perkier. "I meet a cool sophomore in my Business class. He already asked me if I wanted to go."

"Oh, Ami I'm so happy for you! Meeting older guys! I knew I had taught you well!" Stacy beamed. Ami groaned.

"So he's not afraid of your affinity to large weapons?" Ted joked. Ami sent him a glare.

Cam smiled. "I guess that means I'll be taking Lily to the dance. You ever been to one before?" he asked.

Lilith shook her head. "No. I was home schooled, remember? Nobody ever invited me to any of these after school activities." _"I wonder if being hunted by a ghost would count as extra-credit for gym."_ She pondered momentarily.

Cam graced the group with his signature smile that Lilith had gotten to know so well over the past month. "Then let's do this right the first time." He said. He took her hands and had her stand with him. "Lilith Manson, will you be mine for the Homecoming dance this year?"

Lilith couldn't help but laugh in slight embarrassment. Stacy and Ami rolled their eyes as both had gone through this same routine before. "Sure Cam, I'd love to." Already she was excited. Box Lunch had been right. She needed this.

All too soon her happy moment was ruined. A blue mist escaped her mouth. Her eyes widened in horror. _"But they stopped spying on me weeks ago…"_ Lilith though disdainfully.

"Lily, what's wrong?" Ted asked, standing up as well. Stacy and Ami followed suit, sensing something was wrong with their new friend.

"I…I need to go to the bathroom. Whatever happens, don't worry about me." She lied quickly. She didn't know why she felt she had to get away from her friends, but a feeling her gut told her to. And if she had learned anything from Skulker, it was if you couldn't plan ahead; listen to your gut feeling.

She dropped into the women's bathroom and transformed into her ghost form as soon as she entered a stall. Turning intangible, she flew up to the roof of the school building. Once up there though, she heard screams coming from the cafeteria and the alarm sounding seconds later.

She dropped down to see what was happening. Three ghost vultures were causing havoc in the cafeteria. Lilith frowned; she had never seen these ghosts before. However, talking to them first may help. She was half ghost, maybe they'd listen to her.

She flew up to one of the vultures as students were screaming around her. "Uh, excuse me?"

The vultures turned to her and seemed to do almost a double-take on her appearance.

"Who are you?" One of them asked in a very heavy accent.

"Me! I…I'm…" She felt herself caught. She had always been Lilith Manson, only with a ghost half. She realized she couldn't really give them her real name here in the cafeteria. There was always the stray chance that another kid would overhear her and then her secret would be open to everyone.

"Eh, she kinda looks like that one kid." Another one said. "What's his name?"

"I don't remember!" Said the third. "When you're this old the Alzheimer's really gets to you."

"Uh, actually my name's really not all that important. So, why are you three attacking the school cafeteria?" Lilith finally asked.

"Meh, you tell her."

"No, remember what happened last time we asked a Phantom kid how to find somebody? We got our tails kicked to Fiji!"

"Not that Fiji is a bad place and all…"

"Who are you looking for?" Lilith asked, exasperated. The students were starting to calm down outside. Soon they would focus their attention on her. Attention in her ghost form was the last thing she needed.

"Ah, just show her the picture already." Said the first again.

The second vulture took a torn picture out of his feathers. Lilith took a good look at the girl in it. Her most notable features were her long red hair, blue headband and black shirt. "Sorry." She said, handing it back to them. "I don't recognize her."

"You sure? She's supposed to be the new counselor at this school." Said the first.

"Well, whoever she is she hasn't come yet…why do you three want to find her anyway?" Lilith said, thoroughly suspicious.

"Eh, our boss wants a talk with her. Not our problem."

"Your boss?"

The vultures shared a look at her question, but before they could answer Lilith they flew out faster than she had imagined they could.

"I wonder what that was about." Lilith asked herself. She got her answer moments later.

"Eat ecto-ray, Ghost!" Came a voice out of nowhere.

Lilith recognized Valerie Gray from the Drill a month ago.

"Ah, crap…" She said, mostly to herself. This was exactly the situation she had been trying to avoid. She had no choice but to run from the relentless blasts of Valerie's guns.

"Please, stop! I'm not doing anything!" Lilith screamed hoping negotiations would work.

"I'm not listening to your lies, Ghost!"

Lilith didn't know where to go. Her indecision proved to be a bad thing as Valerie finally landed a shot on her back. Lilith screamed as she forgot to turn intangible and slammed into a building. It was a very familiar building.

"This is a fitting place to end this." Valerie said as she landed her jet sled. Lilith noted with fear that although the ghost portal was only one intangibility away, it really hurt to use her powers at the moment.

"I'm serious, I wasn't doing anything. Please, you have to believe me!" Lilith's back hurt from the blast. She wasn't sure how bad it was, but unless she thought of a way to convince Valerie she was good, well she probably wouldn't be just half a ghost anymore.

"Just stay right where you are Ghost, I'll put you out of your misery." Valerie said as she charged up the very large gun she held. Lilith gulped visibly.

"Please, if you'll only take a chance to get to know me!" Lilith pleaded just before Valerie pulled the trigger. She braced for the attack that would probably kill her.

The attack never came. Instead, there was the sound of the gun powering down. "What did you just say?" asked Valerie in the silence.

Lilith was so stunned; she really couldn't really remember what she had just said.

"I've fought a lot of ghosts since I was in high school." Valerie started. "And they've all pleaded for their afterlives, except one. I hated that ghost. He ruined my life and had the guts to call me by my first name. Once when we were forced to work together, he told me almost exactly that, to get to know him."

Lilith had finally caught her breath as she came to realize that she would live another day. _"I never thought I'd come this close to death by the hands of anybody other than Skulker."_ She sighed in relief. "So, you're not going to destroy me?" She tried, careful not to say the word 'kill' lest she raise suspicion.

"No. Not today. But if I see your face around here again you won't be so lucky." Valerie said sternly.

"Thank you." Lilith said standing up slowly. She was feeling much better physically, not to mention mentally.

"You know." Valerie started. "You look a lot like him now that I think about it. Do you know the ghost Phantom?"

"The original ghost-kid?" Lilith questioned. Valerie nodded, and then Lilith nodded back. "He…he's my dad." Lilith wasn't entirely sure if it was safe to tell her this all things considering. She did though. _"If his ghost enemies know, his human ones might as well."_

"Really? Didn't know ghosts could, well, you know." Valerie seemed a bit surprised at this. Lilith sighed.

"The Ghost Zone is…different. I don't really understand either." Lilith said carefully. She thought about Box Lunch, that was more of a mystery than anything.

"Say, as long as I'm letting you go…could you give your 'dad' a message for me?"

Lilith looked about to say something, but then retracted. "I'm sorry I can't. I've never actually seen him personally. He's been missing since before I was born. About fifteen years ago." Again, Lilith wasn't entirely sure if this was good information to deal out. She was almost positive that had Skulker been there, Valerie wouldn't have known anything.

"Fifteen years, that's about the same time Danny...could it be possible?"

"Possible that what?"

Valerie shook her head. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, _especially_ not you. I don't think you'd be very comfortable knowing my past with him. I am trying to destroy him."

"_Get in line; you're not the only one."_ Lilith thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "That's okay, I'm used to it." She said sadly. Off in the distance the two heard the school bell ringing.

"Remember, ghost-kid, next time I see you I will destroy you." Valerie warned before she left.

Lilith was left with the task to get herself back to class. "However you managed to pull off that superhero gig of yours, dad, I'd sure like to know your secret." She said to the air. She then flew the short, but painful distance back to Casper High.

**A/N: Come on, it's not like I could ignore Valerie… the chance was there and I took it.**

**I hope the flashback was believable as well as the short encounter with Valerie. I'm horribly critical my writing, as all authors are with their own works. I need feedback whether it's something I'm doing right or something I need to improve on. **

**Not that I don't enjoy the continued interest and the 'kookies', but you're the audience. I extend my heartfelt thanks to DPfan, dessweird51 and KHFREAK14. I want to help you enjoy this as much as possible, so if you have suggestions or critiques, bring it. I'd especially like to know how I'm doing with the different characters.**

**In other notes, this was the most revised chapter of all of them. I just wasn't happy with it until I literally added in the name scene last Thursday. Knowing me I probably over-edited. My little brother was helping me, but that was mostly for content. He's so funny though. He doesn't like fics much, but he always listens when I write or read them to him.**

**As short update, chapter 12 is done. But there will now be a chapter 13 and then an epilogue. **

**Later.**

**Unrealistic :-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Okay, first off I have to apologize about the lack of space between time passing scenes. I've tried, but they won't appear once on I'll keep trying to use different things and see if they work. If I have any pet peeves about writing, the above would be it. So it just kills me to have it in my own story. I hate it! bangs head against the nearest wall repeatedly**

**Line Break **

**Jazz:** Well, you leave me no choice. Mom, Dad, can I talk to you about Danny?  
**Danny:** What! Jazz, no!  
**Maddie:** Is there something wrong with Danny?  
**Jack:** Is there a ghost involved?  
**Maddie:** Is there something you want to talk about?  
**Jack:** That involves ghosts?

**Line Break**

"Hello fellow students and welcome to Casper High's 87th Spirit Week!" Announced the school president; a senior boy who was also the captain of the soccer team. "This week we celebrate not only the great start to a new school year, but also remember the past. To help us with this the school board has invited Dr. Jasmine Fenton, world renowned child psychologist and alumni of Casper High to spend the week with us and share some of her wisdom before starting here full time! Help me welcome her up!"

The entire school started to clap, some of the faculty a bit more enthusiastically than the students as the new counselor came up to the podium.

Lilith, sitting in-between Cam and Ami, gasped. It had been a few days since the incident with Valerie and the ghost vultures, but she immediately recognized the girl from the picture, if only an older version of her.

"Thank you Jonas." Jazz said to the boy. She then addressed the student body. "Let me first say that it's really great to be back here at Casper High. My thanks go out to Principal Ishyama and Mr. Lancer for requesting me for the position I'm about to take.

"A lot of my fondest childhood memories come from this place and Spirit Week has always had a special place in my heart, right down to the Spirit Sparklers." She said, looking directly at Mr. Lancer, who grinned wildly at the mention of the sparklers. He didn't notice the two teachers he sat next to shrink away from him in fear.

"This week was always full of enthusiasm, discovery and finding closer relationships with your peers. Enjoy these days, students of Casper High. They'll be some of the best of your lives. I won't bore you with more counselor talk now; I'll save that for when I get to see each and every one of you individually during this week!" She finished with a cheerful smile and enough cheerfulness for half the school.

Many students around Lilith groaned without restraint. _"Maybe I can meet with her early and warn her about the ghost vultures and their boss…"_ Lilith thought this was a good plan. She didn't want to deal with this in her own ghost mode, mostly because she was concerned about a secondary meeting with Valerie. She _really_ didn't want to find out what one of those weapons would do to a half-ghost.

After the school assembly the odd group separated. Ami went to her Business class while Cam and Stacy went to Home Ec. Ted and Lilith went on their way to computer class as they stopped by each other's lockers.

"I think we've had enough crazy counselors in this school's history for a lifetime." Ted commented as Lilith pulled out her math book for a later class.

"I think she sounds really nice. I'm going to try and get in soon though, to get it over with. I already know the symptoms she's going to discover and the diagnosis she's going pull out for me." Lilith sighed, slamming her locker shut.

Ted raised an eyebrow. "You've done this a lot before I take it?"

"I know one of the former counselors this school had and she's given plenty of advice." Lilith said as they arrived at Ted's locker.

"I bet you have your life all planned out then." Ted joked.

"I never said it was good advice." Lilith said blandly as Ted grabbed his books and they left for the classroom.

"Maybe you should take this session seriously." Ted suggested. "It sounds like you have a lot going on in your life. I've noticed it ever since we first met and especially after those ghosts attacked, you've been a nervous wreck."

"I suppose I have been a little more jumpy than usual." Lilith admitted. There had been no more ghost attacks thus far, but she was worried just the same. What if there was more? What if it was a ghost she knew well? She knew they all had the potential, but still hated to think that her family was capable of such things. What would she _do_? This question had been plaguing her since the attack. The very last thing she wanted to do was fight them…

"Lily, you've been kind of jumpy ever since we met. I've wanted to talk to you about it, but I thought it would just pass…but it's been practically a month, I'm worried about you."

"I have good reason to be jumpy…" Lilith said under her breath. Louder she said, "Don't worry; I'll be one of the first people to go and see Dr. Fenton."

Ted seemed satisfied at this. _"It's nice to know that someone else besides Box Lunch really cares." _Lilith thought as they entered the classroom.

**Time Passing**

The next day Lilith found herself walking into the counseling office. She hadn't been the first child to enter and so far she had seen nothing but good results from the students who had come out.

Jazz Fenton gave her a critical look as she came in. Lilith thought it a bit strange for a counselor, but Spectra had given her the same look at first. For different reasons, she was sure. Lilith would just have to warm up to her.

Jazz soon seemed to shake herself out of whatever trance she had been in as Lilith stood in the doorway. "Lilith, come on in and take a seat. You're just in time."

"Thanks, but you can call me Lily. Most people I know do." She said as she took the seat.

"Sure Lily. Well, I've been looking over your files; it's not much since this is your first year in the public school system." Jazz said standing up and then sitting again on the front of her desk.

"I was home schooled most of my life. I finally convinced my uncle to let me come. He uh…believes firmly in the power of one-on-one education." Lilith supplied, hoping it was a good enough story to believe. Jazz Fenton; however, seemed to be on to her even after only meeting with her for a whole of one minute.

"Yes, that's what the file says. It doesn't give the name of your uncle, or any other guardian for that matter. Your friend, Ted, said that you're nervous often. It seriously makes me wonder if something is going on at home." Jazz said very worriedly.

Lilith felt trapped. Like a deer in the headlights. She didn't know what to say, so she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Look, Dr. Fenton you may not believe what I'm about to tell you, but last Thursday there was a ghost attack on the school, three green vulture creatures and I…overhead them talking about trying to find you. They said something about their boss wanting to see you." If Lilith didn't know any better she could swear that there was a distinct look of fear in the counselor's face.

Jazz regained her sense of composure for the moment. She didn't seem too concerned with _how_ Lilith had overheard this information. "Lily…my parents were ghost hunters." She finally admitted. "After all I've been though; I'll believe almost anything, including the fact that my brother and his family are still alive."

"I'm…so sorry." Lilith said, not knowing what else to say to the counselor.

Jazz closed her eyes as if trying to calm herself, getting off of the desk and began to walk around. "When I saw your name on the file and on the list of students I could hardly believe what I was seeing. Now, looking at you…I can see both of them so clearly."

"What do you mean? You knew my parents?" Lilith said with growing excitement.

"Lily Manson, heh…of course I did. Your mother was Sam, I knew her very well. As for Danny….he was my little brother." Jazz finally said.

Lilith was shocked. _"I have living relatives. I have an aunt and who knows how many other…"_ She thought frantically, almost not believing what she was hearing. Her mouth hung open slightly in disbelief.

"Grandpa and Grandma, are they still alive?" Lilith asked quickly as she stood up, remembering from her dreams that she'd once had at least one set. Waves of emotions were flooding over her at once and she wasn't sure how to respond to them.

Jazz hugged her tightly. "All these years I thought you were dead…" Lilith didn't grace that with a response as she didn't trust herself to answer.

"I can't believe I actually have family out there." She said as they broke away from the hug. "I was told that they were all dead. I didn't even know that dad _had_ a sister! All I knew were Mom, Dad and Uncle Tucker." Lilith said, maybe this counseling session would get some good use out of it yet. _"This might explain why the ghost vultures were looking for her. I need to find out who they're working for."_

"Seriously though, who are you living with? We looked everywhere for you, Lily. Your father had a lot of enemies-or so I was told." Jazz said rather quickly. _"I'll let her tell me about the ghost powers. But I'll push as much as my psychological training will allow."_

Lilith didn't know how to respond. The last thing she was expecting to find in high school was a long lost family member. She didn't have an alibi.

"A…bunch of very good people have taken care of me for the last ten years. I don't think I could ever leave them. They've had to undergo a lot of changes in their uh, dynamics to raise me." Lilith said carefully, she had to make sure that Jazz wouldn't try to make her come live with her. Skulker would not stand for that. The last thing she needed was for her newfound relative to suddenly 'disappear'.

Inside Jazz was wrestling with herself. She had helped thousands of clients with their personal lives and now she hadn't a clue as to help her own niece. _"The ghost problem complicates everything and now apparently Vlad is on my back again. I wonder…I wonder if he knows about her."_

"Is something wrong?" Lilith asked as Jazz walked back to her desk.

"No, nothing's wrong." Jazz said on habit. A habit her brother had started in her. "We're here to work with your problems, not mine. I am the psychologist. So, I'll leave it open to you. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"_You have no idea…" _Lilith dared to think. There was so much that she did want to talk about, but not now and not with her new-found aunt. She would have a lot to avoid and under Jazz's watchful eye, it would not be easy.

**Time Passing**

"Lily, you look like death."

"Oh, shut up." Lilith said dryly to Box Lunch. The two of them were floating around at Box Lunch's house waiting for the Lunch Lady to finish making them cookies.

Box Lunch smiled wryly. "Boyfriend troubles?" she asked innocently, one elbow leaning on the table.

Before Lilith could answer the buzzer on the oven beeped, announcing that the cookies were done. At the same moment, the girls heard a familiar low whistle.

"Oh, no. Not again!" Box Lunch had a pained expression on her face while Lilith didn't hide her look of amusement.

"Well, at least he's not _trying_ to be a teenager anymore…" Lilith said with a forced smile, trying to make the situation sound better for her friend.

A ninja entered the room. One could not see his face behind the mask, but the girls knew who it was. On the ninja's shoulder was weird fox-like creature that was literally all bones. The ninja played show-off with crazy martial arts moves before finally stopping, exhausted.

"Shuboni!" The ninja said with little breath. Not that he needed to breathe.

Box Lunch's eye twitched for just a second and the girls and the fox creature all spoke at the same time. "It's Shinobi!"

"Take off that stupid mask, Youngblood!" Box Lunch said, very annoyed as she yanked it off herself.

Beneath the mask was indeed the childish ghost, but like Box Lunch, he had grown. At any time he had the ability to revert to his kid form, but ever since he had meet the only other two kid ghosts in the world, he had chosen to change form and grow up with them. But he would never be able to become an adult.

"I heard the oven beep, so I'm here to sample the cookies!" Youngblood explained as he took a seat next to Lilith. Even through physical changes, his mind had not matured a bit.

"I think I liked him better when he had manners." Box Lunch muttered.

"I rather think I did too." Said Youngblood's eternal playmate, currently disguised as the fox creature. "He can smell freshly baked cookies a thousand miles away and there's nothing I can do to stop him."

"It's good to see you again, Youngblood." Lilith said. "Where've you been?"

Box Lunch rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

Youngblood dramatically jumped on top of the table. "First, I sailed with my pirate crews to the ends of the world in search for the dreaded Jewels of Foreboding! Then I went out west to claim the greatest gun-shot in the universe! Then I was king of Europe for a while after my great victory in the Wild West and I lived in luxury. But sadly, I was dethroned by my evil advisors, so I turned ninja in order to get my revenge and even now I sit and wait to hone my skills."

"Let me guess, the great ninja wants to refuel and gain his prize of the best tasting cookies in the universe?" Box Lunch said dryly and without interest.

"Your mom _does_ make the best cookies…" Lilith said warily. Box Lunch was never in the best mood with Youngblood around.

"You bet!" Youngblood exclaimed happily, sitting down on one of the chairs around the table. "And I've got even better news! I'll be sticking around for a while. The adults at the elementary school I usually haunt are getting suspicious. Those kids were really fun to hang out with too…" He ended on a sadder note

"Oh is that right now," Said the Lunch Lady in her kindly voice, coming into the room with a plate full of freshly baked cookies. "Do you need a place to stay while you're here, dear?"

"Mom, No! He can't stay here!" Box Lunch protested.

"And you say _I_ have guy troubles…"

"Lily! Do something!" Her friend demanded.

"Well, he can't stay with me. I've got school in the afternoon and I've got homework." Lilith said in a tone that she was sorry she couldn't help out.

"I'd love to stay with you!" Youngblood said putting on the charm.

"No!" Box Lunch cried in agony. Lilith was the only one who didn't ignore her pleas.

"Don't worry; he'll be off on another adventure again before you know it." She consoled.

The Lunch Lady turned to her daughter. "Sweetie, could you go tell your father to move his INFERNAL BOXES so that this nice young man can stay in the guest room?"

"I…guess…so…" Box Lunch said anger in every word and pause as she left to find her dad.

"Oh, Lily, I packed some cookies for your flight home. You make sure that Skulker eats some, or else I'LL TEAR HIS LIVER OUT! You tell him 'hello' for me, will you dear?" The Lunch Lady said her mood changes evident. Lilith was used to it.

"I'll make sure he eats every last one of them, ma'am." She replied with a smile as she stood up to receive the care package.

As the older ghost left, Youngblood asked a question. "You go to school, as in human school?"

Lilith nodded. "Yeah, I finally convinced Skulker to let me go. I've only been there for about a month, but it's really great!"

Youngblood gave a mischievous smirk. "Well, maybe I should haunt _your_ school then…"

"No, you shouldn't." Lilith said evenly. "I had everyone spying on me the first two weeks; I finally just got them all to lay off. Besides, they've got Ghost alarms and Ms. Grey would pummel you."

"But Lily, you don't need human school! You're a ghost and you're a kid! You could just hang out with me and Box Lunch all day." Youngblood said with a sad look on his face.

"But I'm human too. My dad went to school and I'm no different than him, so I should go as well." Lilith said with conviction.

"There is too a difference!" Youngblood said, rolling his eyes. "Everybody _likes_ you. Your dad was just some kind of crazy superhero thing. It got _really_ annoying. He wouldn't even joke around! You're actually_ fun_ to be with."

"So…you're glad he's gone?" Lilith said, sitting back down in resignation. You could have almost measured the frown on her face drooping as Youngblood spoke his piece.

Youngblood was about to continue his rant, when he realized that he had made his friend upset. It was common for the other ghosts to talk about how much they hated Danny Phantom, but all too often the topic came up because Lilith was around and she would have to stay and listen to the conversation.

As much as Youngblood didn't like adults, parents _were_ different. While the other ghosts didn't care if she overheard, he and Box Lunch were more sympathetic. Youngblood found it harder than Box Lunch as he had fought with Danny Phantom many times before. Although he remembered Box Lunch saying that she had fought him once when she had been, little but no one believed her not matter how much she insisted she had.

All things considered, Youngblood still really didn't like Danny Phantom especially now that he would be an adult. But Box Lunch had beaten some civility into him when talking about the half-ghost and he tried his best of follow through on it, mostly for Lilith's sake.

The girls were the only real friends he had. He wasn't going to lose them over an old enemy.

"Lily, just forget about it. I didn't mean it." He tried to say.

Lilith slowly got up and headed out for the door. "It doesn't matter. You can talk about whatever you want. It's not like I actually have an opinion. I've never met him." She said with her eyes facing down on the floor.

Youngblood stopped her before she could go out the door. "Your feelings matter, Lily. You're one of the few friends I have and Box Lunch really doesn't like me that much in the first place. I don't like seeing you sad and depressed. You're growing up fast and soon…you may not be able to see me anymore." He said a bit sadly.

"Is _that_ why you don't want me to go to school?" Lilith asked a bit surprised.

Youngblood struggled to voice his explanation. "If at least you're in the Ghost Zone, you can see me even if you're an adult. But high school bridges into the adult world and soon you won't remember being a kid." He paused before continuing. "Skulker may like you now, but that's because you're a kid and he has control over you. When you grow up…things will be different."

"Different? Why would things be different? There's no reason why things would change." Lilith said, sensing the coming argument. It certainly wouldn't be the first one of this subject.

"I can answer that." Box Lunch said, coming back in. She had that distinct habit of showing up at just the right –or wrong- time. In retrospect, she'd probably gotten it from her father who unbeknownst to them had that same problem, depending on who you asked.

"You're human side craves for freedom, hence why you want to go to school so badly." Lilith was about to counter, but Box Lunch cut her off. "You may think of Skulker as a parental figure, but he's not. Parents let their kids go after high school; he's just going to keep you in your cage the rest of your life and then the rest of your afterlife."

"I know." Lilith defended weakly, averting her eyes. It wasn't like she didn't know what she was getting into. She had known ever since she was old enough to comprehend the situation. "He's not a bad ghost."

"'Not a bad ghost'" Box Lunch rolled her eyes before Youngblood could speak. "Lily, you live in a cage! He's totally corrupted your mind!" She exclaimed.

Youngblood took over after that. "You could escape at any time Lily." He explained. "You're more _powerful_ than him. For that matter, you're more powerful than most of the ghosts in the Ghost Zone. Skulker knows that. You remember your tenth birthday party?" Lilith nodded shyly; she had gained a new power that day totally on accident.

"You could destroy half the Ghost Zone with the Ghostly Wail, Lily." Box Lunch continued. "You're getting stronger every day and the adults know that. One of these days you're going to have to make a choice. To either stay in captivity or get out of here and live the human life I know you want so badly."

"I can't leave! I just can't! I could never…!" Lilith protested, appalled at just the thought. This was her _home_.

"Your dad didn't live like this, why should you?" Youngblood brought up before she could finish.

"Skulker has tried to kill your dad repeatedly. He works for _Plasmius_ for crying out loud!"

Lilith was worried. She didn't want to be talking about this. She wanted to get off the subject now. "Plasmius? Who's that?" She asked. She had never heard of him before and it was a good way to stop her friends from pushing too much.

Box Lunch and Youngblood paled, more than usual, and the bony creature seemed panicked. "You never heard that name!" Youngblood shouted soon afterwards. "Just forget about it!"

"I…I think I hear my mom calling my name. Come on Youngblood, its dinner time!" Box Lunch said quickly, dragging the would-be ninja with her.

"We'll see you tomorrow!" They both yelled.

Lilith gave a confused look at both of them. "I wonder what that was all about. It's not dinner time already, is it?"

**Time Passing**

When Lilith finally arrived home Skulker was eating. She dropped the cookie package in front of him. Then she sat down at the table and proceeded to open her math book to start on her homework for the night.

"What is this?" Skulker asked in an overly demanding tone as he sniffed it.

"A care package of cookies from the Lunch Lady, she said if you don't eat them, she'll tear your liver out." Pause. "Please tell me that thing you're eating is not the creature from cage 587? I thought I finally got you out of that habit." She scolded, shaking a pencil at him.

"You want some?" He asked a bit wickedly, dangling a stringy piece of ecotoplasm.

Lilith looked more than a bit grossed out as he offered her what she knew was formerly a ghost animal. "No thanks, I'll just get something non-creature-like from the refrigerator later." Lilith had acquired an acute distaste of meat over the years. As Box Lunch and Youngblood had reminded her earlier, she was just as much a part of Skulker's collection as the ghost he'd just finished eating. It had been just enough to turn her vegetarian, at least while at home.

"So, how was school?"

Lilith looked up from her homework problems and stared at Skulker as if he had grown six feet tall- _without_ the metal suit. "You never ask me about school. What do you want?" She asked cautiously.

Skulker leaned back in his chair. "Do you remember when you were younger; you used to want to come with me hunting? I've decided that you would be an asset to me, so when you get out of school during the summer you will start assisting me." He said bluntly, as he usually did.

"What?" Was Lilith's intelligent response to the statement. She was shocked to say the least. "Why?"

"Why? You already help repair my weapons almost better than I can and I need something more to do with you after those four years are up." He said plainly.

"Well, it's not like I had anything better to do when I was little. That was the only thing you'd _let_ me do if I wasn't hanging out with other ghosts. But why so all of a sudden?" Lilith struggled to come up with a rational explanation for this sudden occurrence.

"I thought you'd be pleased about it." Skulker said, surprised. "You were always asking me _every single day_ if you could come along. It's dangerous, but you're old enough now and your powers have matured at an exceptional rate. It's time."

"Yeah, but…"

"But what? And to answer your first question I wanted to know if you were enjoying yourself. You're not required to go and if you're bored of it then I could just start training you earlier."

"I am _not_ going to quit school." Lilith said with finality and a bit of anger. She should have known he would try to dissuade her from continuing. It was only a month into the first year too… "I know you don't like the idea of me going, but I've waited my whole life for this chance and I'm not going to ruin it."

"Let it be known again that you are not the one who decides things here. This is my lair and you belong to me. _I_ make the final decisions. The fact that I am allowing you to attend school does not give you permission to be in charge. Of anything." Skulker said evenly.

Lilith backed down as she usually did when Skulker started getting possessive. The current conversation was disturbing and she didn't want it getting out of hand. There was punishment for disobeying, something she hadn't done in a long time, but didn't want to repeat ever again.

"I understand." She said as her eyes glanced back down to her homework.

"Good, as long as you remember to keep it that way." He said with the slimmest smile of satisfaction. "So what about my offer then? Will you come with me or continue to remain in your cage all day when I'm gone?"

Suddenly something snapped in Lilith's mind and everything that Box Lunch, Youngblood and even what Jazz had told her crept into her mind. It _was_ almost as if he was afraid she'd escape, offering a sort-of partnership was a way to ensure she'd stay. _"But that's definitely not like him to do that. Sure I can get out of the house easily enough, even when I was little, but I'm not that powerful and I could never leave forever…."_

Lilith began to have flashbacks. She remembered first meeting Skulker in the basement of the Fenton's old house and soon after meeting the rest of the ghosts at a large gathering. At the gathering was where she met and first befriended Box Lunch. She remembered the first time Youngblood had gotten them hooked on haunting houses for fun. She remembered running through the forest on the island, thinking she was playing 'hide and seek' when Skulker was actually trying to seriously hunt her. Those early years had frustrated him to no end.

She remembered Technus and the Ghost Writer taking charge of her early education, with Sidney Poindexter lending tutoring hours every now and then. She remembered cookie time at Box Lunch's place with her friend's parents. She remembered trying to learn to play the guitar courtesy of Ember and also the long talks about growing up that ended up happening instead of the actual lesson.

She remembered the fun of evading Walker and constantly freeing Wulf just to make him angry. She also remembered catching Johnny 13 and Kitty at intimate times, sometimes on purpose. She then remembered making bad wishes on purpose just so she could use Desiree to get cheep revenge, something the wish-granting ghost enjoyed doing as well. She also remembered Klemper's friendly hugs on an almost daily basis.

She remembered sleepovers with Box Lunch at Dora's castle. She remembered counseling sessions with Spectra, but actually ending up playing with Bertrand instead of getting the often ill advice. The duo had also usually been the ones to nurse her back to health when she'd been sick; being some of the few ghosts with a bit of medical experience-despite the questionable validity of it. Skulker had tried, but his home remedies typically ended up making things worse.

Lilith may have had human relatives, but these ghosts were her real family. These were her memories. This is where she had grown up and she decided that the Ghost Zone was where she would stay. _"Youngblood and Box Lunch are just overreacting. I only need high school. Then I'll have experienced human life…that's all I want." _Lilith tried to convince herself, but her conviction wasn't as strong as it had been before.

"Of course I'll help you, any way that I can. Does this mean you'll stop 'hunting' me all over the island?" Lilith said with a bit more excitement, tying not to sound depressed about Skulker's earlier comments.

Skulker gave off a genuine laugh, and then abruptly stopped. "No." He said seriously, answering her question first. "I'll start your training soon though. I'll supervise your first hunt in a few months." Skulker said plainly. Lilith sighed in relief that the tense mood had been lifted.

"What? You're sending me in by myself? But I don't know what to do! I'd rather back you up." Lilith said very flustered.

"You will, but this is only part of your training. As I said it will be a few months from now, but you're a smart girl, you'll be fine." He said, smirking with pleasure as he got up.

Lilith still had several questions. Not limited to finding out she had human relatives and asking why she hadn't been told before and then also the mystery of who Plasmius was. She was sure Skulker would know the answer.

She then thought about what her guardian had said for a moment. "Wait, did you just compliment me _and_ call me something gender-specific?" He _never_ did either, much less at the same time.

There was silence as Skulker chose not to verbally respond, but instead to escape out the door.

"Hey, you haven't eaten your cookies yet! You want to keep your liver, don't you?" Lilith said before Skulker could leave the room. The hunter ghost grumbled and took the cookies with him into the area where he kept his collection of 'rare and unique' creatures.

Lilith sighed as she began to work on her math again. "I wonder what's up with him." She couldn't help but wonder out loud, her voice filled with a sense of worry for the ghost who was the closest thing she had to a father.

**A/N: Yeah, I kinda shocked myself with that last line…but it sets up for the next chapter!**

**This chapter doesn't flow the way I wanted it to. So especially if you have an opinion, drop a review. I only really like the part when Youngblood shows up. I like ninjas and he seems so kid-like. I figured if I wrote Box Lunch in as a main character I _had_ to put Youngblood in there somewhere. Even if I have majorly reorganized her personality. Granted, she was only in a five minute segment in one episode…**

**You guys seem to like Valerie, don't worry. We haven't seen the last of her…Jazz was this chapter and next chapter it's Dash's turn to make a cameo. snickers maniacally **

**A big thanks to: dessyweird51, The Sleep Warrior and DP fan for last chapter. YOU ROCK! Reviews really do mean a lot to me, especially commenting on specifics in plot or characters. Trust me; it'll make the fic more enjoyable for you. They make me feel warm and happy inside. Kind of like hearing storm chasing stories from my professors and knowing that soon I'll be able to join them and get in on all the inside jokes.**

**Next chapter's a biggie for plot and number of words. See you all then.**

**Later,**

**Unrealistic :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Before the freakishly long chapter, I have a bit of cool trivia for you. I was talking to a friend of mine on AIM and she was talking to her roommate and cousin about baby names, so that got me thinking about the different names in Danny Phantom.**

**Oh, boy did I get results…**

**I won't bore you on with the traditional characters, but Lilith's name actually intrigued me the most and since this fic is about her, I'll share it with you.**

**Lilith: **Assyrian, Sumerian, Hebrew

**Meaning**: 'ghost; storm goddess; spirit of…'

**Isn't _that_ interesting…I've come to believe that all the names on the show are on purpose. Take a look for yourself on a baby name website; I think you'll reach the same conclusion. If you look up 'baby names' under google, the one I was on is the second one on the page. 11,000 names or something. All the names seem to fit the characters really well if you delve deep enough. I wish I could drabble on about all of them. It would make a great paper or something. A lot better than the one I have due next week...grumble grumble...  
**

**Okay, you guys deserve this chapter. It's all good stuff too.**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

**You get quotes from the whole family this time! Thanks once again to the people at tvtome.  
**

** _Line Break_**

**Box Lunch**: (To Danny, after she surrounds herself with food items to make some sort of monster form) And now, and you probably knew this was coming... Beware!

**The Box Ghost**: Crate Creep? I am The Box Ghost! Who are you? (To Danny, in a much softer voice) No, seriously, who is she?

**Lunch Lady Ghost**: Then perish!  
**Danny**: Forget it! The only thing that has an expiration date here is you! (Changes back to human form accidentally) Whoops! I didn't mean to do that.

**_Line Break_**

One week later, it was the night of the Homecoming dance. Lilith was still in the Ghost Zone. She had a good hour before Cam was going to pick her up at the Fenton house. At the moment, she was caught in Dora's castle doing last minute preparations.

"I don't really need that much makeup!" Lilith said hopelessly, sitting on a chair in front of a large mirror.

"Of course you do!" said Dora as she applied the said makeup. "You're half-ghost, which makes you very pale. You need the blush."

"And the eyeliner, if you wanna hook that musician kid." Ember said, taking the mentioned eyeliner.

"Or the hunky one," Dora said with her two cents.

"But Ted already has a date! And I don't like him like that!" Lilith protested. "'Hunky' is not the term I would use to describe Cam either." She pouted.

"Save it for somebody who can't read you like a book." Sitting contently in the corner watching the makeover take place was Box Lunch. She was flipping lazily through a hair magazine.

"And I suppose I should thank you for getting everyone together for this?" Lilith knew the answer as she allowed the other female ghosts to have fun with her face and hair.

Box Lunch smiled her wicked smile. "I did say to 'Beware' before I brought you here. You know me well enough to know that's a warning…"

"Take a look at what Johnny and I found!" Kitty announced as she popped into the room. Johnny and Shadow came in precariously behind her. Neither looked happy to be there. Kitty was holding up a little black dress with purple edging.

"I thought we agreed on traditional, ballroom pink!" Dora complained.

"Oh, I like it! It has 'bad girl' written all over it." Ember said happily. Well, as happy as Ember gets.

"You guys really don't have to do this for me. It's_ just_ a dance." Lilith said.

"And deprive us from the joy of dressing you up? I don't think so! Here, put on the dress! I thought that if we put your hair up the black of your hair wouldn't blend into the dress too much." Kitty ordered and started to play around with different hairstyles. Lilith was in her human form so it was easier to tell how it would look at the dance.

Lilith did as she was told and slipped the dress over her head. The other girls oooed and awed. "So I guess it looks okay?" She asked.

"It looks fantastic. We are definitely doing this again. All we need now is to get you to really learn how to play guitar and you'll be irresistible."

"The dress fits her much better than I thought, colors included." Dora admitted.

"It's almost as if you'll be the life of the party." Box Lunch said wryly. "You're certainly the life of this one."

"Real funny, I'd like to see you in one of these." Lilith shot back.

Box Lunch laughed and put the magazine away. "Find me a date and sure I'll go with, but mostly good luck with finding a guy who'll want to go to a dance with me."

"So where is Desiree?" Dora asked. "I thought she said she was going to be here?"

"Oh, there's a meteor shower going on over Australia. She's been really busy lately." Box Lunch supplied, hands in her pockets.

Lilith looked over the dress some more as the others talked. She hadn't realized that it took this much preparation and was starting to have second thoughts.

Kitty seemed to notice this and elbowed Johnny in the gut. "Johnny! Tell her how she looks!"

Johnny yelped in pain. "You look great kid." He said through clenched teeth. For his part, Shadow flew over to the vanity and picked up a simple necklace with a diamond hanging on it. Ghosts never did things half-way and they certainly didn't have fake gems. Shadow put it around her neck with a sort-of smile and then flew back behind Johnny.

Box Lunch grabbed hold of Lilith's hand. "Time to go, we don't want Mr. Football to miss out on you." Lilith blushed madly as she transformed into her ghost half for the trip to the portal.

"He doesn't just play football." Was the only retort she had as she blushed, head tilted in shy embarrassment.

"Have fun hanging in with your friends!" Dora cheered.

Ember and Kitty spoke with bland voices. "It's hanging out."

"Oh, really, are you sure?" Dora asked innocently

"Wow. Aragon really didn't let you have much of life, did he? That prick…" Ember said in distaste.

"Okay, if you're going to catch up on the teenage slang; we're going to have to start from scratch…" Kitty said in a resigned fashion.

Lilith followed Box Lunch out of the medieval castle as the conversation continued on without them and made their way to the Fenton Portal. Once there Lilith changed back to her human form and Box Lunch handed her a purse. Inside of it was another container (a box one, of course) of cookies. Lilith looked up questionably.

"Mom always says the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but if that doesn't work you can always BANISH HIM INTO THE DARK ABYSS!" Box Lunch said as if she were imitating her mother, which really wasn't that hard for her.

"Your mom always did have best logic." Lilith agreed with a laugh.

"Well, I'll see you after the dance. Knock 'em dead, Lily." Box Lunch said shoving her best friend through the portal before the said friend could make any last comment.

She certainly didn't realize how literal that would almost turn out.

_**Scene Change!**_

Cameron Baxter stood outside the Fenton's old house. He admitted he was slightly curious as to why Lilith had told him to pick her up here. No one had lived here for years. Ted had almost asked her why, but Stacy had stolen him away to watch the cheerleading squad's newest routine for the homecoming game. Ami, who was also on the squad, had twitched. She usually did whenever Stacy would do something -for lack of a better term -blonde.

Cam was mostly taking Lilith to the dance out of respect for tradition. He had always gone with his close friends to dances and he wasn't going to sit back and let Lilith stay at home on one of the biggest dances of the year. Of all the guys in attendance at Casper High, he was most suited to take her to her first dance.

But whatever he was expecting to come out from behind the front door never came. Something much better did.

"Uh…Lily…" He stuttered. Cam never stuttered.

Lilith gave a concerned look for her friend. He was dressed in a nice grey suit and tie, but his face looked a bit…shocked. She waved her hand across his face.

"Cam, are you okay?" She asked genuinely.

The teenage sports star snapped out of it. "Lily, are you _sure_ you've never been to a dance before? Because you look like you've been doing this for years. You look_ beautiful_." He said, still a bit awed that his shy and non-fashion sensitive friend had been turned into _this_.

Lilith blushed. She was used to being called a lot of things and 'beautiful' was definitely not one of them.

Cam coughed. "I uh, promised my parents I'd bring you back to my house before the dance. My mom is a little photo happy and since this is the first high school dance, she's worse than ever."

"No problem. I'd like to meet them anyway." Lilith said, hopping down the steps. She almost tripped, not being used to high heels.

"So your uncle didn't fuss about you at all, this being your first big dance _and_ you're going with a guy he's never met?" Cam asked as they walked to his house a few blocks down.

Lilith bit back a fit of laughter as the thought of Skulker doing such was rather entertaining. "No, he is a bit overprotective, but he trusts me." He voice faltered slightly thinking back to the events of last week. "Some friends of mine helped me mostly. They've had years of practice, not me." She covered up quickly.

"So, you live in the old Fenton house?"

"Not really. I live out of town actually. I just hang out there if I need to do more things in town." It was truthful enough. She did spend her fair share of time in the lab. In one of her rebellious stages as a little girl she had run away for a time and stayed at the house. It hadn't lasted long, but she and the house had bonded and she soon found she couldn't stay away for long periods of time.

"So you live on a farm or something? Got any cool animals?"

"Yeah quite a few animals. My uncle collects different kinds." She answered.

After the question and answer session, both learned more about each other. It had passed the time as they arrived on Cam's doorstep.

"Wait here." He said. "I don't want my mom to jump you." Lilith nodded and unconsciously took a step back from the door. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" He announced.

"Let me see her!" Came a female voice, getting increasingly closer with every syllable. "Dash! Get the camera! NOW!" She yelled.

"But I'm watching the game…" Whined an older, male voice.

"It's on tape, pause it! Goodness Dash, you're never going to teach your son common sense if you act like that. Get the camera." She demanded.

Cam sighed. Lilith sort of felt his pain.

A brunette woman flung the door open. "Come on in you two. The meteorologists were lying _as usual_ when they said it was going to be warm tonight. My goodness, young lady you look lovely tonight!" She rambled. Lilith suddenly understood Cam's outburst when she first met him. He must have gotten it from his mother.

"Mom, this is Lilith Manson. She's new to the district." Cam said as he introduced her.

"MANSON!" exclaimed a voice from the other room. Cam's dad came out. Dash hadn't changed much since his years at Casper High. The years had been unusually good to him. "They're _here_?" He whispered in horror. This horror was exemplified on his face when he got a good look at Lilith. "Oh, no…it _is_ them!" He freaked and ran back into the living room screaming something about ghosts and supposed to be dead classmates.

In retrospect, maybe the past years _hadn't_ been that good to him.

"Err…sorry about my dad." Cam apologized. "He went to Casper High during the big outbreak of ghosts. He's still a little skittish about it."

"That's okay. I get that more than you might think." Lilith said with a small smile.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Lilith. My name is Janet, Cameron's mother." She said, shaking the younger girl's hand. "Now wait just a second, you two look so cute!" She scampered off in the direction Dash had gone.

"Gimme the camera Dash!" There were sounds of things breaking and several yelps and apologies. Cam instinctively winced and Lilith wasn't sure what to do.

"It's the ghosts again, Janet! I knew those two lovebirds would get together and now they're back to ruin my life!"

"Dash! Calm down!"

Janet came back with the camera and positioned both kids in a well-lit place so the picture would turn out.

"How long is this going to take?" Lilith asked, feeling itchy in the dress. She really wasn't used to wearing one.

"Be grateful you're not a guy and going with Ami. Her dad is ten times worse than my mom when it comes to these things. Her dad spends five minutes fussing over the picture and before he lets you into the house you get a full pat down." Cam responded. After seeing Lilith confused he elaborated. "He's former military. Has some job with the government now."

Soon, however, it became evident that the kids had to intervene if they were ever going to meet the rest of their friends fashionably late.

The others were already at the school. Ted had a nice black suit on, but looked like he'd much rather have his normal clothes that screamed 'unemployed musician'. Stacy was wearing the traditional pink ballroom gown next to him, snuggling tightly. Ami was wearing a pale green gown, only with less of a ballroom skirt. Her date was wearing another black suit.

Stacy was the first to speak as the two approached the others. "Lily! I love your dress! And…is that a _diamond?_ Who designed it! I must know!"

Not knowing how to respond to her fashionable friend she decided to speak truthfully. "I don't know. A good family friend found it for me."

"Whoever did is a genius!"

"_I think the correct grammar would be 'was a genius'. Kitty might have found a ghost clothes designer."_ Lilith thought sorely.

"George Donovan? You're Ami's business class friend?" Lilith heard Cam ask. "I had no idea!"

"What can I say? I've my dad's knack for the career. I thought I might as well see what I would be getting into. I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have met Ami otherwise." George said conversationally.

"How do you two know each other?" Lilith asked with the same intent.

"Soccer team" Both responded instantly.

"My brother's the captain." George continued. "You probably know him better as the student body president."

All six kids proceeded to walk into the school gym together as they continued the conversation. They were happy and having the time of their lives already. For the moment, Lilith felt normal. _"They make me feel human."_ She couldn't help but think.

For the first several dances the various couples stayed with their dates, but after a while girls started to dance in big groups and the guys did the same. Once the couples started up again, nobody had their original date. Lilith had somehow ended up with Ted on the dance floor. Stacy was babbling on with some of George's upperclassman friends and Ami had found a group of other kids to stick with. Cam was sitting with Stacy, looking more exhausted than anything. For an athlete, he didn't have much stamina when it came to dances.

"So, are you having fun?" Ted asked as he taught her the basics of swing dancing.

"Tons of it, how often do you have these dances?" She asked as she slipped under his arm and twirled around to face him again.

"Once a month usually, but our group only goes to about four a year. Cam gets warn out too much and Ami has limited tolerance for social activities. Besides, we have each other's various things to go to, like watching Cam in whatever sport he's in or the girls cheerleading and I've got concerts too. There's a lot more to Casper High than just dances. You'll love it." He assured her.

"The Homecoming game was fun enough to watch. My uncle hunts a lot and before now that was really the sport I was most familiar with. I agree with Jazz when she told me I should 'broaden my interests'." Lilith said as she twirled out again and then back in.

"Are the sessions helping?"

"More than I thought they would." Lilith admitted. _"It's like having an older version of Box Lunch around…"_ She hadn't told anyone about Jazz being her aunt yet. Not humans and not ghosts either. She wanted to ask Skulker before anything and possibly give him a piece of her mind for never telling her, but she hadn't gotten a good chance yet.

Before either could talk about anything else, Lilith's ghost sense went off. Her face showed a look of shock, despair and worry. She fervently wished –knowing Desiree had the meteor shower going on tonight -that this ghost was someone she knew.

No such rest for the weary.

Lilith did recognize the ghost, but only from description. It was the Fright Knight. She'd never seen him before, but the horror stories she had heard about Pariah Dark left her well aware of what the Fright Knight could do. It scared her.

The school ghost alarm went off as usual and within moments Valerie was on the scene. Lilith's heart went out to her. She knew Valerie was good, but chances were that the Fright Knight was better.

The students around her and Ted were desperately trying to get out of the gym. Ted was trying to pull her along with the rest of the crowd. "Lily, what's wrong? Why are you just standing there?" Lilith didn't listen as everything seemed to be muted to her except for the battle in the air. She was intently watching as Valerie was fairing pretty well against the Fright Knight.

She knew it wouldn't last long. Most of the ghosts she spoke to on a daily basis weren't on good terms with the Fright Knight and Valerie was still human, even if she did have high tech equipment. She wouldn't last too much longer without help.

In the heat of the moment Lilith made her decision. "I've got to help. No one else can." She said mostly to herself. Ted caught it and tried to follow it up.

"What are you talking about? Lily, where are you going?" Ted asked, yelling after her. Lilith again didn't listen as she pushed her way through the dwindling crowds. Ted's voice calling after her was indistinguishable in the noise as he was swept away with the rest of the students.

Lilith ducked behind the bleachers of the gym. She made a quick scan the area to make sure no one would see her transform. Seeing no one and sensing the growing emergency, she changed herself into her ghostly appearance.

"_Someone is going to kill me when I get home if they find out I was doing this…"_ This was Lilith's last fleeting thought before charging headfirst into battle.

Valerie was keeping him occupied at the moment, so she opted for a sneak attack. Keeping her distance, Lilith let out a volley of ecto-blasts all of which looked like Frisbees. The Fright Knight was caught off-guard and turned around to look at his new opponent. Somehow the way he looked at her sent chills up her spine.

No longer interested in Valerie, the ancient ghost set his sights on Lilith. Panicking, Lilith flew out of the way of his sword by having very, very quick reflexes learned from many years playing 'hide and seek' with Skulker.

With another swing of the sword Lilith was forced to go intangible. Seeing the opening she landed a punch in the gut, her hand glowing green which indicated she had enough for an ecto-blast. She let the blast go at the close range and let it pilot her backwards.

The Fright Knight recovered fast as Lilith had expected. She hadn't expected him to address her. "You're very good, child. Better than I anticipated. My master is very curious about you. He wishes to know if yet another has fallen victim to an accident with a portal."

Lilith filled her hands with ecto-energy in preparation for an attack. "I don't know what he wants with me, but you can tell your master to leave me alone! I just want to live as normal of a life as I can get and you ruined my first dance!" She didn't attack right away. If he really was as powerful as the stories depicted him, she was doomed.

"Terribly sorry about that I am under orders after all." It was after this that Valerie rejoined the fight.

"Terribly sorry I have to do this!" she shouted. Lilith had to duck out of the way to avoid being hit. The Fright Knight didn't seem fazed as he blocked it with ease. He then returned the blast back at her. This sent the ghost hunter into the bleachers and out for the count, but not dead.

"Ms. Grey!" Lilith couldn't help but be worried for her. Valerie wasn't a bad person, she could tell that much. If it wasn't for the fact that Lilith was part ghost, they could have probably been friends. She was a little too worried as suddenly the Fight Knight was upon her, not stopping the battle for anything.

He grabbed her by the neck, keeping her in one place as she struggled to get out of the grip. "Now, let's see what you _really_ are." He said menacingly. Lilith felt pain surge through her body. She knew from experience that extreme weariness or unconsciousness could immediately change her back to her human form. Normally if she were at home this was okay, but not in this case.

Thinking quickly she spilt herself into two. One duplicate attacked the Fright Knight so the original could escape. Firing an attack from each body Lilith pulled herself back together and unleashed one large attack right after the other two.

Lilith floated down to Valerie. Making sure she was really okay, she turned her attention back to the Fright Knight. "Alright, my turn to ask some questions." She said sternly.

The Fright Knight laughed. "Maybe I'll answer them." He acknowledged. Lilith didn't let her guard down for a second. He was still very powerful and didn't look all that harmed.

"Who is your master and how did he find out about me? Most importantly, why does he even care?" She asked.

"Surely you've heard of Plasmius? His eyes are everywhere, in the Ghost Zone and in the human realm. How you've escaped his attention for so long is beyond me." He answered.

"_Plasmius…Box Lunch and Youngblood knew something about him. They didn't seem too happy to enlighten me though. What's the deal with this guy and why haven't I heard of him until now? He must be pretty important…and dangerous."_ A thousand thoughts were running though her head.

"I can tell you're still confused." The Fright Knight offered. "Perhaps you'd like to come with me and meet him yourself? Then all of the questions you've ever had will be answered."

Lilith knew she shouldn't be, but she was torn at the moment. _"Never go with strange ghosts." _Was one thing that crossed her mind. _"But maybe he knows something Skulker doesn't…"_ She didn't trust the Fright Knight at all, but the offer was very tempting.

"As enticing as your offer is, I'm going to have to decline. If some crazy fruit loop wants to know more about me, he's going to have to see me personally and not send his minions."

The Fright Knight grinned. "You have your opinion, but you do realize that my master does not take 'no' for an answer, the last half-ghost before you learned that lesson well. I'm going to have to take you with me forcefully."

Lilith suddenly wanted to know how he'd known her secret. She could find that out later. Skulker had only told her about her father being half-ghost. She wanted to know now if Plasmius had done something to him. She only subconsciously noted that the stakes of the fight had been changed.

"What do you know about my dad?" She interrogated, still not sure if he was the half-ghost the Fright Knight had been referring to, but was willing to make an educated accusation. There could have been others that Skulker just hadn't known about, but that didn't seem very likely. She flew around to avoid the large gem-shaped attacks her opponent was throwing at her, having to make shields around her for some of them.

"I see the similarities. They are uncanny. I wasn't sure until now, but my master will be most pleased with this information." He said. Lilith cursed under her breath. Something that was somewhat out of character for her, but she was angry at herself for unwittingly given her mysterious new enemy this information.

"I will ask again. Will you come willingly, or not?"

"I'm not coming with you period!" Lilith cried as she, this time, split herself into three. Each duplicate fired a different attack from the distance, then all of then flew at the Fright Knight from different angles.

The Fright Knight anticipated all three strikes, but they never came. There was a pause as the ghost looked around for his younger opponent. She appeared in front of him, having rejoined her duplicates and delivered a rather powerful punch the Fight Knight had not been expecting. She once again had the ecto-energy in hand and released it close range, like she had the first time.

"I wonder where you learned your skills." He asked conversationally, barely fazed by her attacks.

Lilith did not respond. Witty banter was never her specialty. Besides, at the moment she was very much absorbed in the battle. She did not want to lose her rhythm, especially not with an opponent like the Fright Knight. She had a sinking feeling it was going to take everything she had ever learned to get away from this. Inside, she was still very scared. The banter would have only played on her fears and she knew it.

She flicked her wrist and the ecto-energy she had been holding morphed into a green sword. She gripped it like her life depended on it and attacked once again.

"Let's see…" the Fright Knight mused as he met her sword with his. "If you're half ghost, that means you are also half human. I wonder if you would care if I did this…" He flew towards the giant gymnasium windows where a large crowd from the dance had been standing outside, watching the fight in fascination. He aimed one of his ecto-attacks at them.

"No!" Lilith yelled as she quickly got herself between them and the Fright Knight's attack. "Don't you dare hurt them!" She positioned the ecto-sword in front of her, ready to attack. She did before he had a chance.

The Fright Knight was ready for her this time and blocked her back to her position in the middle. "I'll ask one more time child. Will you come?"

Lilith glared. Her confidence had risen ten-fold in the last five minutes. No longer was she going to stand for this. It was bad enough that she now had enemies that she had never wanted, but they were threatening to kill. If something were to happen to her friends-any of her friends, ghost or human- she would never forgive herself.

"No." she whispered. She hadn't wanted to do this, but now she had no choice. Making sure her back was to the windows, she drew back her breath.

The next thing the Fright Knight knew he was being blown by a tremendous force. It wasn't enough to destroy him, but he had enough information to report back to Plasmius and fight another day. He transported out before her Ghostly Wail could harm him further.

Lilith floated down to the floor of the gym. The entire back wall was blown out and scattered across a long line of destruction. It was empty and in shambles, much like how she felt herself. She needed to get home before she got _too_ tired and change in front of all these people.

Valerie was slowly getting up and the kids were coming back into the gym with the adults trying to assess the damage. She vaguely noticed light flashing around her and saw that the reporters were already there and running towards her. Her heart went into her throat in fear and flew out of the gym.

Her destination was home. The only safe haven she had and the place where she knew she would get some answers. Not that she was actually thinking these things, but nevertheless home was where instinct took her towards.

Unbeknownst to Lilith, Ted was still looking for her. He had seen the entire fight and found all of his other friends. Now he just needed to make sure Lilith was okay.

His search had taken him to the Fenton house. This was where Cam had picked her up. _"Maybe she freaked out and went here. She did say she needed to help and there's lots of ghost hunting equipment here."_ He thought logically.

He entered the house. It wasn't the first time he had been in there. In grade school some of his friends had dared him to go inside. Since you can't refuse a triple-dog dare, he had gone in. He was sort of familiar with the place. Part of his dare was to go into the lab and get one of the ghost hunting weapons. The weapon he found was something that looked like a soup thermos. He had picked it because it looked the least dangerous out of all the weapons.

He entered the lab. As he did a chill filled the room. Ted hid behind a cabinet. Out of thin air a ghost appeared.

It wasn't the Fright Knight. It was the ghost-girl that had won the fight. The reporters had been in frenzy. Some were saying it was the return of Danny Phantom, until someone had been observant enough to see the ghost-kid was a girl.

She also had that famous logo on her uniform, which made the reporters to leap that the two were in league with each other and maybe even related. So until she could clear any misinterpretations up, she had been dubbed the Ghost-kid's daughter because of her age.

The girl looked very tired. Ted almost came foreword to see if he could offer any help, but didn't. He had always been a silent fan of Danny Phantom, even though he had been before Ted's time and knew he never liked being in the public eye. He felt sorry for this girl and figured she would want the same treatment.

At the same time though, he was excited at her appearance on the ghost fighting scene. He continued to watch her with interest as she grabbed hold of the machine that operated the Fenton Portal in order to get some support to stand up.

For a good five minutes he watched as she pushed a button on the machine and the front doors to the portal opened. She attempted to walk towards it, faltering with each step. When she had only gone a few steps she collapsed on the floor.

Ted figured it was now or never. She needed help. He ran foreword and knelt down beside her. He rolled her over so her back was supporting her.

"It's okay." He comforted. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe here." Even as he was talking a wave of peace seemed to wash over the ghost-kid, finally slipping into true unconsciousness and the surprise of Ted's life.

He saw the flashy rings move down her body and even when he saw it, he wasn't sure if he believed it. Lying on the floor instead of the ghost was now the girl he had been dancing with not half an hour before.

"Lily?" He whispered aloud. His mind couldn't seem to come to grip with the fact that the two were one and the same, or at least something like that. There were a million theories, none of which he had time to examine.

Ted felt a much colder chill come in the room. He instinctively turned to the ghost portal. Floating above him was a rather large ghost with flaming green hair in what looked like… a metal battle suit?

It was a battle suit. Because as soon as he had turned around the ghost pointed a very menacing looking gun at him. "How much did you see, boy?" He asked very seriously.

Ted grabbed the first thing that was in sight. He raised the baseball bat against the gun, knowing he really didn't have a chance if this was really just a bat with a sticker on it. "You stay away from her! She just finished fighting a ghost and she doesn't have time to deal with you too!"

The ghost seemed amused by his words. He retracted the gun. "I assure you that I'm not here to harm her, just the opposite, and if I was what would you do? Put a dent in my armor?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Ted gripped the bat tighter.

"I would have killed you both already and put her pelt above my fireplace." He said as if discussing the weather.

"That's…gross…" Ted winced, a disgusted look evident on his face.

"Why do you even care? You saw her transformation, didn't you?"

"Lily is one of my best friends. I don't care _what_ she is it's _who_ she is that counts." Ted told the ghost defensively.

"Oh, please you hardly know anything about her. This is beside the point. You saw her transform and you know her identity. I can't let you stay here." A different gun appeared and a net shot out of it. The bat didn't help Ted in the end.

"What are you doing!" He said, very panicked and struggling inside the net.

"If you are truly her friend then she wouldn't be very happy with me if I killed you, but I can't let you stay in the human realm until I have questions answered."

"Who are you?" Ted finally asked, fairly certain he wasn't getting out of this unless he cooperated.

"Who am I? I'm her 'uncle'." The ghost said wickedly. Before Ted could ask any more questions he and Lilith were taken through the portal. Already in a state of shock, Ted couldn't handle it anymore as he beheld the green landscape.

Being the sensible person he was, Ted fainted.

_**Scene Change And Time Passage!  
**_

Vlad Plasmius was working in his secret laboratory, which was conveniently located in his private study in his reclusive mansion near Madison, Wisconsin. He was very concentrated, but wasn't getting any work done. The cause of his fruitless labor came in the form of a soft, but annoying whistle from a corner of the lab.

"Daniel, stop that infernal noise before I do something unpleasant." Vlad casually mentioned, as though he had done this a thousand times, which in hindsight, he probably had.

The whistling stopped for all of two seconds before it came back. Louder.

"STOP IT!" Vlad screamed, his patience almost gone.

Behind bars, the now adult Danny Fenton raised his eyebrows. He rested his cuffed hands behind his neck and lay back in a relaxed position. "You know…" He pondered out loud. "If you really think I'm that annoying you _could_ just let me go."

Vlad continued to work on his project. "That line hasn't worked anytime in the last fifteen years you've tried it and it certainly won't work now. Next time you feel like feeding it to me, remember that I _did_ let you have your wedding night."

"You know Vlad, you have taught me one thing in the time we've known each other." Danny admitted after a few moments of silence.

It was Vlad's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh really now and what would that be?"

"I've learned to never give up. I mean, look at you, you're sitting over there with everything you've ever wanted." Danny said, and then gasped. "Oh, wait I'm sorry, _almost_ everything." He ended with a wicked grin.

Vlad growled at the reminder that although he had Daniel safely locked away, the boy turned adult was _still_ not on his side. There was also the, slightly minor, issue that the love of his life was still Maddie _Fenton_.

"Well, I suppose I didn't really learn that from you." Danny mused aloud again. "I've known that since I got my ghost powers. But I do have to admire you, Vlad." Danny relented. "A lonely, bitter old man in his sixties and has achieved one fourth of this overall life goal." Danny clapped his hands mockingly. "I applaud you."

The third thing he had not achieved was the untimely death of Jack Fenton. "If you don't do something fast, my dad is going to die of natural causes before you get the pleasure of killing him off yourself." Danny ended in mock worry.

"I've noticed something about you, Daniel." Vlad said, amazingly calm. "No matter how many conversations we have down here you seem to forget the fact that I have your wife and best friend hostage and that I could kill them at any time I wish."

For the next few minutes that silenced Danny. This was the one thing that had prevented Danny from escaping several times. After breaking out of his own restraints, he would have to break Sam and Tucker's as well and then carry them all away from Vlad, who would be on their tail fast and fresh.

"You could have at least kept them awake so I'd have someone to talk to other than you." Danny mumbled, but made sure Vlad could hear him. Upon their capture, Tucker and Sam had been placed in suspended animation. Danny had been angered at first that Vlad admitted they were test subjects and it wasn't guaranteed to keep them alive. But after ten years they _were_ alive, not looking a day older than when they were put asleep.

"Cheer up Daniel. I'm expecting the Fright Knight to come back with some information and if you're lucky, a cellmate." Vlad said cryptically.

Danny was confused, but figured as always, that Vlad was up to no good.

The Fright Knight came soon enough. Danny was silent as he listened to the conversation. Vlad was the first to speak. "Well, I see you failed to come back with the girl. What did you find out?"

The Fright Knight gave a quick look over at Vlad's prisoner before speaking. "It was as you expected. She has amazing powers for her age and excellent control over them. She declined the offer to come and after her attacks I was not able to capture her and have enough strength to bring her here."

Both Vlad and Danny were shocked by the statement, Vlad more so because of his other information. "And of her identity?", he asked pressingly.

"Again you were correct. She showed limited knowledge about him." He pointed to Danny. "She seemed to have not heard of you before."

"I think I could use this to my advantage." He transformed into his own human form. "I think it's time I paid a trip to Casper High. You remember your old high school, don't you Daniel?"

"Do I have to?" He joked blandly, rolling his eyes.

"Your sister recently accepted a job there as the school counselor. Don't you find that intriguing?"

Danny was on his feet, his hands gripping the bars angrily in a matter of seconds. "Don't you _dare_ do anything to Jazz."

"What are you going to do about it if I do?" Vlad allowed himself a laugh. "Don't worry; it's not your sister I'm after although she and I need _do_ to have a long talk about the location of your parents." He said thoughtfully. "Would it surprise you to know that you are a father?" He said almost out of the blue.

"What?" Danny didn't quite know how to respond to the sudden question and it took him a few moments to process the information. "That's impossible; Sam would have told me if she was pregnant." He insisted.

"She wouldn't have had time to tell you anything. She probably didn't even know herself at the time you 'disappeared'. Because currently there is a girl going by the name of 'Lilith Manson' at Casper High and from what my spies have told me, she inherited much your looks as well as your ghostly powers."

"You're lying. Your vultures can't remember what they had for dinner last night much less what I look like." Danny said finally. He could hardly believe it anyway.

"You must have made quite the impression on them then. I'm doing something nice for you Daniel. I'm uniting you with the daughter you never knew you had. Besides, you may think differently once you've seen her."

"Why go after her now then?" Danny said, still in shock. "That's not like you."

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, I didn't know she existed until last week, but this is consistent with some medical research that I've been getting from your friends. Samantha has shown many signs of a woman after they've had a child." He said then a pause. "Your daughter is still at a very impressionable age Daniel, maybe she'll make the choice you didn't. Wouldn't that be ironic? Ha, it's so evil I don't think I'll be able to resist it." He allowed himself a quick laugh.

Vlad left the lab and the Fright Knight followed after, leaving Danny alone to contemplate this new knowledge and maybe of what could have been.

_ **And...Scene!**_

**A/N: Definitely my favorite chapter and yes, Ted did pick up the Anti-Creep Stick. (One of my favorite Fenton weapons, BTW) That and I suppose Danny showing up is _kind of_ a big thing…that was sarcasm if you didn't notice.**

**The only episode I've seen with the Fright Knight in it is The Ultimate Enemy. I haven't seen Reign Storm or Fright Night. He comes back, so help with his character would be greatly appreciated. What? I've only been a fan for three months. Actually, today should be the three month aniversery that I saw Reality Trip. Yes, it was the first full episode I ever saw.  
**

**Anonymous Reader brought up an excellent question about Skulktech. Because Danny's 'jerky older self' never came into being there was simply no reason for them to join forces. That would have been a challenge to write. Just Skulker fits much better.  
**

**In that light, thanks go out to; The Sleep Warrior, Meaganisnttheworld, dessyweird51, DP fan, Harry, Anonymous Reader and Sweeteen19 for the amazing reviewer turnout. You guys are part of the reason that this chapter is out a bit early. Those are the kinds of reviews I'm looking for, honest critiques. I'm also looking for epilogue scenes, but I'll talk about those later. **

**I hardly had to edit at all for this chapter. Out of all the chapters, this one came out the best first time through. At least now we have a gage about how powerful Lilith is. I have this big long theory about how Danny's kids would turn out as far as genetics are concerned, but that would be a really long author's note. You can blame my brother and I for watching and then critically analyzing any and every Danny Phantom episode we watch. If you'd like to find out more about the theory say so in the review. Now that I have a secondary email, I can finally answer some questions.**

**So there you have it. Hopefully most of your unsaid questions were answered and there's more to come.**

**Later,**

**Unrealistic :-)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

**Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention it last chapter, but the bad weather jokes were totally on purpose. For those of you who haven't read my bio yet, I'm a Meteorology major. There might even be a chase today!  
**

** Wow..that's a lot of you reading...It boggles my mind still that people read this. Do you guys read this multiple times or are there actually that many people reading?  
**

**Glad you enjoyed the last chapter and the fact that Danny's back. I figured as much. Here's the next one! Two words: Blanket Scenerio. **

**Disclaimer: see chapter one.**

_**Line Break**_

**Clockwork:** Introductions? Fine. I am Clockwork, master of time. I've been charged with the task of eliminating your future, so that never happens.

_**Line Break**_

_Lilith struggled to stay awake. During the flight to the portal she realized she was more tired than she had originally thought. By the time she made it to the basement lab and came out of invisibility she could hardly stand. _

_Her physical pains had started to agonize her the moment the battle adrenaline had left her body. She managed to lean against the portal operations machine. She pressed the button for it to open. Luckily for her she hadn't needed to override the fingerprint scanner. She did have Fenton DNA in her. _

_"Just a few more steps, Lily, and then you'll be home and safe." She muttered to herself, incoherent to anyone who might be around her. Looking up longingly at the portal one last time she collapsed on the floor. _

"I just want to go home…"_ She thought as she lay there. "I want to go home…" She breathed. _

_Almost as soon as she was down a soft, comforting voice filled the air. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe here…" The male voice was reassuring enough. _

"Dad?"_ Was her last thought before going into unconsciousness._

Lilith woke up to the ever familiar soft hum of the ghost shield cage that surrounded her room. She lazily rubbed her eyes, wondering how she had gotten back home and in her pajamas. She decided that someone from the Ghost Zone had found her, considering she had been so close to the portal and that she hadn't made it back by curfew.

She stretched her body, still feeling a bit groggy. The events of the night before were coming back to her quickly. While she was stretching and remembering these things she bumped into someone.

Yes, someone. Lilith heard a deep voice groan beside her as she dared to look. A question came to her mind.

_"Why is Ted next to me in my bed? Hey, that rhymes! I've gotta tell the Ghostwriter next time I see him."_

It was only after that thought that she screamed.

Ted woke up to the unpleasant noise. He quickly rolled his body over and shot straight up upon seeing Lilith in her pajamas and himself still in most of his formal attire. She stopped screaming for just a moment before they both then screamed together, desperately trying to scramble away from the other.

"Ted, what are you doing here?" Lilith was the first to get a grip on the situation and decide that questions needed answering.

"I don't know!" The panicking teenage boy defended. "Last thing I remember before blanking out was this crazy ghost kidnapping us and taking us through the ghost portal! And…and something weird was happing with you, Lily. One second you were a ghost and then you changed back into you!" He said quickly.

Lilith slowly lowered the lamp she had been holding. "You…you saw…?" She said in absolute horror.

"Saw what? I saw a lot of crazy stuff last night!" Ted ranted as he paced across the room. "First a ghost attacks the school and this new ghost-kid comes and saves the day. I went looking for you and I figured you'd gone to the old Fenton house to get a weapon or something then I saw the ghost-kid turn into you! I'm just very confused right now." He said finally, sounding defeated.

Lilith contemplated her options for a moment before saying, "Go ahead and sit down, Ted. You don't want to be standing up for this." He complied. "What you saw last night…well, we're in no immediate danger so, here…was this what you saw?" She said as she transformed into her ghostly appearance.

Ted nodded dumbly with wide eyes. "How…?"

"I _am _the ghost-kid you saw last night." Lilith admitted. "I was trying so hard to keep it a secret…the last thing I need are the Guys in White on my tail and then I'd never be able to go back to high school and then I'd miss out on possibly my only opportunity left to be human." She sputtered quickly. "I've lived in the Ghost Zone almost my whole life, I hardly ever leave. Sometimes it's like I'm not even human…" It felt strangely good to finally say it out loud, but she still couldn't help feeling misserable about it.

Ted noticed that tears were forming in her eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief. He walked over to Lilith and handed it to her saying, "If it really means that much to you, I won't tell anyone your secret. I promise."

"Thank you." She said before giving him a hug and transforming back to her appearance Ted was more familiar with.

"So…what happened to you, to make you like…like…?" Ted wasn't sure exactly how to put it or where to take the conversation.

"Half-ghost" Lilith provided, still wiping away a few stray tears. "I'm half ghost and half human. Some ghosts call the hybrid a 'halfa'. Halfa ghost and halfa human." She laughed weakly. "I was born this way, actually, nothing special about it. The way it was explained to me is that I'm human, only with ghost powers and the ability to change my appearance. As far as I know…I'm the only one." She finished sadly.

"How can you be the only one?" Ted asked. "If it's a genetic condition I'm sure other people have it no matter how rare it is."

"It is genetic, but not the way you think. I got it from my dad. He was the original ghost-kid." As long as the secret was out she figured she might as well tell him everything.

"Whoa whoa, hold on _just_ a second there. Are you telling me that Danny Phantom is your dad? Is he here? Speaking of which, where_ are_ we?" Ted babbled.

"Gee, and I thought I was a spazz a minute ago. In order, yes he's my dad, no he's not here and currently we're in my room." Lilith said a bit exasperated.

Ted gave Lilith a critical look. "Your room is surrounded by a cage of energy. _Why_ is your room surrounded by a cage of energy?"

"To keep me in, you could technically leave if you wanted to, but you wouldn't know the way back to the portal. It's a ghost shield. Humans can go through it just fine." She said amazingly calm.

He looked about to say something several times and kept giving his friend weird looks. "We were taken through the portal…are we…?"

"In the Ghost Zone? Yes. In my room, in the home I've known for most of my life, also yes." She said again.

Ted stared. "When Cam said you lived out of town he wasn't kidding. You actually live in the Ghost Zone?" He asked again, still not really believing it. "And you're part ghost?"

"Yes, to all questions." She answered all of his questions calmly.

"So, do you know the ghost who took us here then? He was really big and…"

"…he had a metal battle suit?" She asked and getting a nod and a confused look from Ted. "That would be Skulker. He's the uncle I've told you guys about."

"And this is where we make introductions." The subject of the conversation said, pushing a green button and putting away the shield. "You are in a lot of trouble, Whelp. I warned you something like this would happen and now things have gotten out of control."

Lilith visibly gulped and involuntarily took a step back. This did not go unnoticed by the human bystander.

"You're afraid of _him_? Lily, you just beat up a freaky ghost last night. You could kick this guy's butt." Ted was bewildered.

Lilith didn't respond and painfully thought back to her almost one-sided argument with Box Lunch and Youngblood, but gave him a look that basically amounted to, 'You're not helping, shut up'.

"Then the issue arises concerning you." Skulker turned his attention to Ted. "You saw too much last night and although you may be able to keep her secret doesn't mean you're off the hook. I'm keeping you here until I know it is safe to bring you back."

"You can't keep me here!" Ted shouted defensively.

"What?" Skulker rhetorically questioned, genuinely surprised. "Yes I can! I am the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter! I can make it so you'd never be able to escape!" He said indignantly.

"Skulker, you literally can't keep him here." Lilith provided, giving the ghost a pointed look. "You can't even keep me locked up for long periods of time."

"Yeah! Wait, he really can't keep me here?"

Lilith sighed. "Ghosts normally can't touch humans in the Ghost Zone. The roles are reversed, humans are the ghosts here."

"I still don't get this." Ted finally said dejectedly.

"We need to talk, Whelp. Now" Skulker interrupted, getting back to the important subject at hand.

"You're right. We do." Lilith said evenly. "First off, who is Plasmius?"

As Skulker gritted his teeth the three heard a noise in the entryway. Putting the conversation on pause for just a moment, Box Lunch came flying in at top speed. The ghost quickly positioned herself next to Lilith and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Anybody want a cookie? Freshly made!" She advertised.

"Not now, Pest. Get out before I put your pelt in my living room!" Skulker said, annoyed.

"Stuff it, Frog-boy." Box Lunch shot back, switching from sweet to aggressive. "You've already corrupted poor Lily enough. She doesn't need to be involved in this." She hissed.

"Involved in what?" Lilith questioned a bit angrily. She wanted answers.

"Well it's a little too late for that now, Pest. Plasmius knows she exists. It's only a matter of time before he learns the whole story." Skulker said, still speaking to Box Lunch.

For the first time since Lilith had met her, Box Lunch looked afraid. This was not like her best friend at all. She sighed deeply. "Lily, there's something we all need to tell you. All of us, as in the ghosts, and we've only kept it from you because we care about you." She defended. "We probably should have told you and we should all have to REAP HORRIBLE FATES for it. I _don't _want to lose my best friend."

"What is it? What is so bad that you couldn't tell me?" Lilith said, a bit pained and slightly frightened.

"Your father is still alive, child." Skulker said finally. "So are your mother and their friend. Plasmius is the one who is holding them captive. You were incredibly fortunate that the Fright Knight did not find you all those years ago, otherwise you would be captive with them now."

Several emotions passed through Lilith at once. She wasn't sure what to think. She had grown up thinking she was the only human-ghost hybrid in existence. All her life she had secretly hoped that she wasn't and to hear her parents were still alive was…more than wonderful. She didn't really think about being angry at Skulker or Box Lunch, she was too sad about not being told the truth.

Tears of sadness and joy started to form in her eyes without Lilith noticing. When she did notice, it was when Box Lunch had her in a hug. "I know it's been hard on you." She said to Lilith. "But Plasmius is powerful. Way more so than any of us and keeping everything a secret was the easiest way to make sure he never found you."

Lilith didn't dare ask anything as she allowed Skulker to continue.

"Plasmius had been after your father ever since he learned of his ghost powers, always to take him under his wing. Those ghost vultures you fought before, yes I knew about that, "He scolded quickly. "Were his idiot spies and the resemblance between you and your father is very close."

"He's probably looking for you now, Lily. Your dad never joined Plasmius, if he had, well; let's just say the results for the rest of us wouldn't be pretty. You remember all the stories about Pariah Dark."

"How did you keep Lily hidden for so long, if this guy is so fearsome?" Ted asked. The two ghosts turned to him in annoyance. The human boy had been similarly annoyed at being ignored this whole time.

"This is because I work for Plasmius." Skulker admitted. He watched Lilith's reaction; it was a mix of a little confusion at first and then fear. Normally Skulker would have been ecstatic to see that look on her face as she had never truly feared him. Yet now was not the time and again he felt the foreign feeling of guilt- the very, very slightest of it., that is. Yet it was something he'd never had before Lilith had come into the picture.

"After going into the lab and finding you I reported back and I omitted our meeting. He would have asked me to bring you to him and I wanted to keep you for myself, to complete my collection." He finished for the moment.

Box Lunch sent Skulker an angry glare for his last sentence. She turned to her friend. "Lily, beware, don't do anything you might regret." She warned. "If Plasmius gets a hold of you I don't know what I would do…" she trailed off.

"Neither of you will be going to school on Monday." Skulker said, addressing Lilith and Ted. "There's a good chance that Plasmius will be there, waiting. He at least doesn't know you live here."

"I need to go." Lilith said quietly.

"Are you insane? What did I _just_ get done telling you!" Skulker shouted. It amused the kids as he sounded like an angry parent, which he claimed all too often he wasn't.

"I need to get away. I just ... need to be by myself for a while." Lilith said as she ran out of the lair. No one stopped her.

"Is she going to be okay?" Ted asked in worry.

He didn't get an answer.

**_Scene Change!_**

Lilith was trying hard not to cry as she flew as fast as she could around the Ghost Zone. She knew her way around here better than the human world, but on this trip she found herself looking at unfamiliar landmarks.

She was deeply hurt and elated at the same time. Her biological family was alive. That was a great relief. The fact that they were prisoners of Plasmius didn't matter. She was already planning on what she would say to them. Since she was a little girl she had dreamt of them holding her, saying that they loved her.

That's not to say that she didn't love her adoptive family deeply. They returned it in strange ways and she knew it well. But she longed for human embrace. None of the ghosts ever gave her terms of endearment, the exception being Box Lunch who she had grown up with. She needed that badly and not from a friend.

She had been hoping that going to high school would help with that. She knew in her head that she was human, but didn't always feel that way in her heart.

She landed on solid ground, not really noticing the building she was at. She leaned against the wall thinking she could avoid contact with everyone. She started to cry softly putting her head in her lap, letting all of her bottled up emotions pour out.

"I didn't realize that onions could have that strong of an effect on you." A soft, yet steadily firm voice said. "Perhaps I should have planted carrots instead." He pondered out loud lightly.

Lilith forced herself to stop crying enough to respond. She looked up, but didn't need to. She recognized the voice and it was a wave of reassurance. She stood up and hugged the old ghost. "Clockwork…it's really good to see you again…" She said between sniffles. She didn't get to give hugs much, so she took them whenever the occasion arrose.

"You remember me." He said with a smile, but not surprisingly. "You have an excellent memory. Why don't we go inside so you can tell me what I already know? It might help." He offered.

"How could I ever forget you?" Lilith said as Clockwork helped her inside the tower. "You helped me not be afraid of the other ghosts when I first got here. I always used to wonder if you would ever show up again." She confessed. "I was almost convinced that you were just a dream."

"You get attached to others easily, especially when you were younger. That's just who you are." Clockwork said as he flew up and with a wave of his staff a portal of a past time appeared. Lilith recognized the people on viewing screen.

"Mom…Dad…Clockwork, why are you showing me this?" She asked, confused. Her parents were teenagers and in a younger Mr. Lancer's classroom doing homework.

Clockwork smiled. "Think of it as a belated fourteenth birthday present. I know it's not as good as the one I gave you for your tenth birthday, but more meaningful I think."

"You got me something on my tenth birthday? I don't remember…" She trailed off as she saw herself at age ten on the viewing screen, using the Ghostly Wail for the first time by accident. "How can you give someone an attack?"

"You're just like your father. You learn things when you need to or by watching someone else." Clockwork said cryptically as he showed Lilith Danny using the Ghostly Wail. "Remember this?"

Lilith furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "That was a dream I had the night before…are you saying that's how I learned it?"

"You have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, although right now you don't realize it. You're only fourteen after all. Here, enjoy the show." He told her with a smile, not truly answering her question.

Lilith watched as the images panned in and out on the view screen. A lot of the events were of her parents as they were kids, fighting many of the ghosts that she knew. She watched her father in action and wondered no longer why the ghost community hated him so much. Already she was starting to feel more connected to both her parents, listening to their conversations and seeing them interact with others.

Other 'slides' were of her parents' college days. The one that really caught her attention was the one of their wedding…

_"Sam! I can't find my tie!" Danny yelled, knocking on her door._

_"Danny can't you wait until tonight to see me naked? Isn't it bad luck for you to see me before the wedding anyway?" Sam said bitterly, trying to wiggle into her dress. Danny blushed madly. He didn't want to push his luck at all. It was bad enough as it was._

_"Fine, Tucker! Have you seen my tie?" He yelled as he walked away from Sam's dressing room._

_"Ask Sam, she'll know!" Came another voice._

_"Tucker! Not funny!"_

_"I never said it was!" Said Tucker's defensive voice._

_The scene switched to the ceremony. Danny had found his tie and was pacing around nervously up at the alter as Tucker tried to get him to be still._

_"Something's going to happen…" Danny muttered to himself. "No way is this going off without a hitch…"_

_Tucker watched his best friend in slight worry. "Danny, the ghosts are so afraid of you, they wouldn't dare…"_

_"Don't finish that, Tucker. Murphy's Law has plagued us from the beginning and it doesn't take days off like Walker does." Danny blurted out sternly. He then thought back to that disturbing incident in which they had found about that little fact._

_"I'll never get that image of Walker in a bathing suit out of my head…" Tucker said, looking sick to his stomach._

_"Same here." Danny agreed, also looking a bit squeamish._

_Tucker then found himself scanning the people in attendance. His eyes found something that seemed to disturb him even more. "Dude…this probably isn't the best time, but check and see who's sitting in the back of the room…"_

_Danny looked. He instantly regretted it. "I didn't invite him. Sam didn't invite him. Why is he here?" He glared at Tucker._

_His best man for the ceremony put his hands up in defense. "If I have to say something, I'd say that your dad invited him."_

The view went to the Fenton's in the first row, grinning wildly.

"Actually, I invited him."

_"Jazz…we've had talks about this…" He told his sister, and for today, Sam's bridesmaid._

_"And it's time for you to face your fears. By inviting Vlad to your wedding you overcome your fears by thinking about the only thing that makes you feel more strongly at the moment. In this case, getting married to Sam."_

_"I don't want to face my fear that could kill me at any time he wants."_

_"It'll do you good, Danny. Trust me."_

_Danny groaned, but his mood instantly got better as the music started to pick up and he saw Sam coming down the isle. He glanced at Tucker, who was grinning like a madman._

_"I've known this day was coming since junior high. I deserve to enjoy this." He said smugly._

_Sam finally made it all the way down. Her father gave Danny a pointed glare before sitting down with his wife. Neither of Sam's parents had remembered consenting to this marriage of their only child. Danny grinned. There was a reason they would never remember._

_"Danny." Sam hissed. "Stop grinning, you're looking too happy." So said the Goth in the black wedding dress._

_"Just thinking about tonight…" He said cryptically._

_Sam glared at Tucker. "Stop poisoning his mind, Tucker."_

_Tucker looked hurt. "Me? He's just as hormone driven as I am! Don't blame me!"_

_A loud clearing of the throat alerted the friends that there were people watching and that the ceremony needed to continue on time. The three smiled sheepishly._

_It all looked normal, until one of Sam's little cousins came running in screaming. "Ghost! There's a ghost in the other room!"_

_The entire chapel went up in an uproar. Danny glared at the double doors his parents had just run through, ghost catching gear in hand. The three friends (and sibling off to the side trying to get people to calm down) seemed to be the only ones not surprised by this._

_"For the record, I blame Sam." Tucker said quickly, as Danny ducked behind the alter. He came back out as his alter ego._

_"I'm going to take care of this quick. I am getting married today and whatever ghost that is back there is going to be in a world of hurt." He said as he flew off._

_Sam glared at Tucker. "Weren't you the one to suggest we go to Danny's house that day? To 'look at all the cool gadgets' in his basement."_

_"Yeah, but you were the one who told him to go into the portal. Besides, he's totally your responsibility now."_

The view changed to the reception room, where all the gifts for the soon to be newly wed couple were stored.

_"I am the Box Ghost! As soon as I rid you of your useless contents, your perfect and priceless cardboard glory will belong to me!"_

_"You're going down now, Ghost!" Yelled a red-clad figure, despite the fact that she had been in one of the bridesmaid's gowns not thirty seconds earlier._

_Danny floated around as he watched the exchange. "I'd forgotten about that…" he said mostly to himself. He turned invisible as he watched his parents run after the Box Ghost as well. "Maybe we should have had a ghost hunting contest at the reception. We've certainly got enough hunters around here…"_

_He watched as Valerie and his parents mercilessly pounded on the Box Ghost. "Oh, well, I'd better take him out of his misery." Danny said, taking out the Fenton thermos._

"They do finish the ceremony," Clockwork said reassuringly. "After three more appearances by ghosts. Your dad was quite the popular one around here."

"They…they seem really cool." Lilith said with an increasingly bigger smile on her face. "Box Lunch's dad was really chubby back then…" she laughed.

"I knew you would enjoy that one." Clockwork said. "How about this one?" Clicking a button on his staff, the view changed to a hospital setting. Sam was in labor and screaming bloody murder at Tucker.

_"I'm going to kill him!" Sam screamed as one of the nurses continued to encourage her._

_"Sam, you can't kill Danny. First, we don't know where he is or what happened and second, he's already half dead." Tucker said trying to think of reasons to make Sam not want to kill their missing friend._

_"I meant Vlad, I have my suspicions, but that's beside the point. Keeping rubbing!" Sam yelled. Tucker diligently continued massaging her shoulders. "You're not doing it hard enough! Put some backbone into it!"_

_Tucker looked around nervously. "But Sam…there are doctors in here…" He whispered._

_Sam didn't really care enough to comfort Tucker about his continual fear of hospitals, all she was focused on was getting this baby out of her! …and then go destroy horribly a certain billionaire._

_Suddenly Sam stopped screaming. It was soon replaced by crying._

Lilith looked closely. "That's me!" She exclaimed.

_"Congratulations, it's a girl." Said the nurse as she wrapped the newborn up in blankets._

_Sam and Tucker's eyes widened. "Let me see her, quick." Sam said without hesitation. The nurse did so without thinking anything of it._

_The two friends looked at the eyes first. Both breathed a giant sigh of relief when they saw that the eyes were blue. "She got Danny's eyes." Tucker said complimentary._

_Suddenly, the newborn's eyes turned green. The two blinked. "She really got Danny's eyes." Tucker concluded as the baby went invisible in Sam's arms._

_"And his powers. I knew this was going to happen! I'm going to kill him." She said purposefully._

_"He did warn us it might be genetic. Besides, you have to kill Vlad first."_

_"True and Lilith is going to help." Sam said, cuddling her now visible child fondly._

_"Oh, no, you're naming her after the sack of flour? Sam, you got way too attached to that project." Tucker groaned._

_"Shut up Tucker. Help me hide her ghost powers from the nurses." She glared._

_Tucker glanced out the door. He didn't like this. "Modeling Agency. Modeling Agency." He repeated to himself. He opened one eye as he spotted a nurse going down the hallway._

_"Hel-lo nurse!" He wolf-whistled. He proceeded to walk out to talk to said nurse._

_Sam narrowed her eyes and looked lovingly at her child. "Don't worry Lilith; they'll all get what's coming to them. You can watch mommy destroy Uncle Tucker in a game of Doomed."_

The scene faded. Lilith grinned at Clockwork. "Thank you." She said. "I think I really needed to see that."

"I'm only doing my job," Said the time master with his knowing grin. "The Observants may argue with me later, but I like you too much to care. Now it's time for you to be getting back home. They'll be worried about you."

Lilith nodded. "Thanks again. I don't suppose you'd be able to help me rescue my parents, would you?" She asked hopefully, knowing the answer already.

Clockwork took one of his time medallions off the wall. "No, I've done a little too much meddling already. Trust yourself a little more, you might be surprised at what you can do. Here. Take this, an early fifteenth birthday present."

Lilith put it on with a smile. "Will I be seeing you again?"

"You know where I live now, that's up to you." He said with a smile.

Lilith smiled and flew off, feeling infinitely better than she had been before.

The old ghost continued to float in the Clock Tower, still smiling. "Everything's fine. Everything's the way it's supposed to be."

**A/N: Danny gets too much attention. I aught to start up a fanclub for Clockwork because he's so totally awesome. Who's with me! Skulker needs a fanclub too. I love him so much and also the Ghostwriter and Technus. I like Shadow too. For some reason I think he's cute. Although for all I know, there's probably some out there already… **

** I also wanna see Walker bust out some karate moves...but I doubt that's gonna happen. **

**  
Uh, anyway, a big thank you, thank you is going out to; DP fan, Sweeteen19, Meagaisnttheworld, dessyweird51 and lizziepercush. You guys are cool. Really cool. So super cool that I could be in the Arctic during the winter there and still not be as cool as you   
**

**I'm still utterly shocked people like this. Writing a next gen. story isn't typically how I get started in a category, but the other idea I had wasn't flowing very well. But as always, comments on plot, characters or just scenes you thought were funny are welcomed and appreciated. It makes the fic all the better for you. **

** As for the writing of this chapter…the wedding scene was hardto write. I kept trying to image what kind of wedding Danny and Sam would have. I came up with nothing so I went the route I was familiar with. I blame everything on the fact that Danny overshadowed Sam's parents…again. But the main point to that scene is that the Box Ghost showed up. That's seriously all I wanted to write about…I just hope it all wasn't too cheesy, especially with the Clockwork scenes. I was afraid of that happening. Everything from here on out I'm a little unsure on.**

**My personal favorite scene was Clockwork's line 'why don't we go inside so you can tell me what I already know, it might help." Hehe, I find that really amusing for some reason. **

**Until next time, **

**Unrealistic :-)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Holy Super cells, Batman! 1000 hits! Congrats gang, here's a new one. This would have been out sooner, but I was watching the radar all day making sure the storm chase team didn't get caught offguard.  
**

**Eh, some stuff happens in this chapter, but it's nothing you weren't expecting. As always, the quote should give it away. This is one of my favorite quotes of all anyway. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. :-)**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

_**Line Break**_

**Maddie:** We love _you_, sweetie. _You._  
_(Danny smiles warmly)_  
**Jack:** Whether you're ghost, boy, or something in between.  
**Danny:** And I appreciate that. More than you guys will ever know. _(Hugs both of them, then looks down at the Reality Gauntlet; frowns)_ Or will ever remember.

_**Line Break**_

It was the Tuesday after the dance at Casper High. Ted and Lilith hadn't been at school on Monday. Skulker had been quite serious about that. Therefore, their friends wanted to know what happened as well as tell them the great news.

"Where were we on Monday?" Lilith repeated the question. "I had a slight fever on Sunday and I wasn't feeling good on Monday morning. I'm better now." She lied nervously.

"My parents had a gig late Sunday night. We didn't get back until early Monday morning. I just stayed home." Ted replied easily enough. That Monday had been one of the worst in his life. He'd had to get used to Skulker's antics, which resulted in a 'trial run' in the forest on the island as Lilith showed him exactly what she went through in her life. Ted learned that he wasn't in shape at all.

"Well, you guys totally missed out on probably the biggest event this school's had since the ghost outbreak." Ami started.

"The whole freshman class is taking a field trip in the spring!" Cam interrupted with excitement. "No school for a whole week!"

"Sponsored by –you'll never believe this- billionaire Vlad Masters!" Stacy squealed. "He's got enough room in his mansion to house us all before we go to the Wisconsin Dells water parks! It's going to be the best non-school funded field trip _ever_!"

Lilith and Ted exchanged glances. Skulker had been so _sure_ that Plasmius would come to their school Monday. They were confused as to why he hadn't.

"Why would this guy come out of the blue and treat us like that. He lives in Wisconsin. What business does he have in Amity Park?" Ted asked, seeming a bit suspicious. Lilith raised her eyebrow at him, not making any connections.

"Apparently he was a good friend of the Fenton's. He knows Jazz the counselor pretty well since, and I quote, 'I most look foreword to catching up with Dr. Fenton', I think he just wants to see her. She and her brother both went to Casper in their day." Ami noted.

"There weren't any ghost attacks yesterday, were there?" Lilith asked, not really caring about the field trip. She was mostly concerned about finding her parents.

"None, there hasn't been any since the dance. Speaking of which, we haven't seen either of _you _since then either." Cam interrogated.

"I ran off after the ghost appeared." Lilith said sadly. "My family has a history of being ghost magnets; I wanted to get out of there before more trouble was caused because of me."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore! There's a new ghost-kid in town to help protect us from the evil ghosts." Stacy said a matter-of -factly. "And this time, the ghost is a girl!"

"I say it's about time." Ami stated with a smug smile.

"Although…" Cam said with a slight frown. "I almost wonder what happened to Danny Phantom. My parents tell me he just up and left one day and it was as though all the bad ghosts went with him. Now suddenly the bad ghosts are back and this new girl comes along."

"What else are they saying about this new ghost-kid?" Lilith asked tentatively. Ted gave her a quick look of sympathy.

"Well, Valerie's pretty angry…" Ami said. "But besides that everyone is expecting another Danny Phantom. My dad says they look a lot alike. They could be related."

"I just wish the bad ghosts didn't have to come with her." Stacy said as Lilith bristled and quickly looked around for Desiree on instinct. "It looks like Amity Park is going to be ghost central once again…"

"Well, I hope they don't expect too much out of her." Lilith said a bit sadly, luckily only Ted knew the reason why. "Even ghosts have other things to do than fight each other."

"Let's just hope nobody gets hurt." Ted finally interjected. "If our parents were able to deal with the ghosts, then so can all of us. At least we have an example to look at." He finished his lines by giving Lilith an encouraging look.

"Hey Ted, you've been in the Fenton's old house before…how many weapons are still in tact?" Ami asked.

"What? Why would you want to know that?" He responded surprised, then raised an eyebrow. "And why would I even check on that...?"

"Well…since Lilith spends some time there and she just admitted she's a ghost magnet…maybe the five of us could do some ghost hunting ourselves?" Ami proposed for the group to consider. She seemed a bit overly hopeful, which wasn't usually like her. Normally she was the pessimist if anything.

"Thanks for your concern Ami, but I'll be fine…" Lilith started, a bit worried. She didn't want to be hunted by her own friends. Valerie was bad enough.

"Oh, no I just think that as long as we're going to be targets for ghosts, we might as well fight back." Ami said completely serious yet sounding totally light-hearted at the same time.

"Sweet, that sounds awesome!" Cam exclaimed seemingly very excited at the prospect.

"We should go to the old Fenton house after school today and see what's still there." Stacy suggested. "I hope there's a weapon disguised as lipstick like in those spy movies, I totally call that one!"

Lilith didn't say anything. She had a pained expression on her face. Ted put his hand on her shoulder in emotional support.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, guys. I mean, the ghost portal is right there. Nobody's dared to get that close to it." Ted warned, mostly in Lilith's defense.

"It'll be fine!" Ami said enthusiastically, trying to convince Ted. "All those weapons and being able to shoot things…"

"Whoa Ami, when did you become so trigger happy?" Cam questioned.

"I've always been this way. I just have to wait until I'm home to take it out." She said, giving Stacy a glance.

"That's neat!" Stacy bubbled.

"Why does she have to be so cheery…?" Ami muttered angrily. Stacy didn't seem to notice, but the other three heard and sent nervous looks amongst each other.

"Well, I guess we're going to the Fenton house after school." Lilith finalized. _"Nobody should be there after school. They never are…"_

_**Break!**_

During school that day Lilith was zoning in and out. She was distracted by the sudden decision to go to her secondary home and start to fight ghosts with her friends. _"I _hope_ nobody's there…"_ She thought nervously, thinking about the ghosts.

It was her first period and Mr. Lancer was speaking on Mark Twain and his several books and then something about doing a book report on one of them. She wasn't really paying attention as her thoughts were most definitely elsewhere.

Mr. Lancer sighed deeply. "Miss Manson, are you listening to a word I'm saying?" This passing comment brought Lilith out of la-la land.

"I'm sorry sir." She said quickly. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Mr. Lancer frowned. In the beginning of the school year he'd had great hopes for his newest student. Lilith had seemed eager to learn and her grades thus far proved it. She was usually bright and cheerful, quite the opposite of what both her parents had been.

Since the homecoming dance, she'd suddenly turned into her father. Depressed, moody and with a tendency to stare off into space, the only thing she hadn't done was suddenly skip class and constantly ask to be excused for a bathroom break.

He'd wanted to ask her what had happened to Danny and Sam. They were his former students and he did still care about them. So far he had not had a chance to. All he knew was that she lived with an uncle. _"Besides,_" He thought. _"that's Jazz's job to figure out."_

"Try to keep your mind on the lecture, young lady. Because of this new field trip you're all going on, I have fewer days to get all of my lesson plans in. We're all going to have to work extra hard to get through the curriculum." He addressed all of the students. This resulted in a collective class groan.

Lilith didn't let it bother her. All she could think about were the ghost attacks, her parents, Plasmius and now her friends were getting involved. She sighed as she stared into her vocabulary worksheet. This was turning into a nightmare.

"And also a reminder to all of you, parent-teacher conferences are coming up in a few weeks, so if you need to get your grades up now would be a good time to start worrying about that." Another collective groan from the students, but this time the mood was lifted as the bell rang, signaling first period was at an end.

All the students ran out the door as fast as they could. Lilith slowly gathered her books and materials up, still lost in thought.

Now sitting at his desk, Mr. Lancer called for her. "Miss Manson, could I speak to you for just a minute?" Lilith nodded as she walked up to his desk.

"I'm sorry I haven't been paying much attention Mr. Lancer. I'll be a lot better tomorrow, I promise." She said pleadingly.

"Up until now your grades have shown me all I need to know. You're an excellent student Lily and whatever's on your mind, don't let it interfere with your schoolwork. Sometimes doing homework and keeping yourself busy keeps your mind off the problem." He said.

Lilith nodded and started to walk away to her next class. "One more thing, Lily, I look foreword to meeting this uncle of yours at the parent-teacher conferences. He must be a _very_ close family friend."

Lilith paled. "Uh, I guess you could say that. He and my parents go way back. But I don't know if he'll be able to make it…he's very busy."

"I expect to see him, unless you have another relation in mind." Mr. Lancer said seriously. Lilith brightened slightly. It was time to pay a visit to the school counselor.

**_Break!_**

"Lily, I haven't seen you in a while, how are you?" Jazz asked eagerly. It was lunchtime and Lilith had excused herself from her friends. Jazz didn't have too many visitors during the day; nobody enjoyed going to see the school counselor. It didn't help that Jazz was sometimes overly peppy.

"Okay. Actually I need to ask you a favor. Will you go to the parent-teacher conferences for me? My uh, uncle is really busy and I _know_ he won't be able to make it and Mr. Lancer really wants somebody to come." She cut right to the chase.

"Really, because I've wanted to meet this 'uncle' of yours for a while now, did Danny and Sam even know him?" Jazz interrogated.

"Yeah, they knew him pretty well." She said truthfully. "So will you go for me?"

Jazz sighed. "I suppose, but one of these days I am going to meet him. I'm your aunt. I want to make sure you're in good hands. I only want the best for you and I definitely don't want to lose you again."

"Thank you!" Lilith said happily, standing up from her chair at the same time. "Oh, I do have one more question…"

"What is it?" Jazz asked.

Lilith looked a bit nervous. "Well, your parents were ghost hunters, right?"

"Yes, they still are too. I haven't heard from your grandparents in a long time though. Last I heard they were somewhere in Eastern Europe hunting ghosts." Jazz sighed dejectedly as she reached for her mug of coffee. "The last time I actually saw them was at your parents' wedding."

"Yeah, well my friends and I have decided that since there's been a major ghost outbreak again, that we're going to do some ghost hunting ourselves and we need some help with figuring out what the different weapons do…" Lilith said hopefully.

Jazz very nearly spit out the coffee she had been in the middle of sipping. She gave Lilith an incredulous look. "_You_….you're going to hunt ghosts…with your friends…"

Lilith nodded. Jazz seemed to keep her thoughts to herself for a moment before speaking again. The older woman smiled in retrospect. "Did you know that your dad used to hunt ghosts too?" She asked calmly.

Lilith smiled. "Yeah, I hear about it a lot actually. It's kind of in my blood, isn't it?"

Jazz smiled warmly again. "Yes, it's definitely in your blood." She confirmed.

"It was mostly Ami's idea and I don't exactly feel comfortable doing this, but with these new ghosts I don't think I have much of a choice." Lilith ranted.

Jazz took Lilith by the hand. "You always have a choice. In the end, it's what _you_ decide."

"So, you're not totally freaked out by me ghost hunting?" Lilith double-checked.

Jazz grinned knowingly. "Like I said, we both come from a family of ghost hunters. It's in both of us. Besides, "she said with a wink, "I know more than you think, a _lot_ more."

Lilith continued to stare at her aunt in silent contemplation. "I know you may think I won't understand, and I know I can't totally comprehend your life, but I did help your dad with his situation. I may be able to help you too." Jazz continued.

"Thanks and maybe someday I will talk to you about the whole thing, but right now if you helped me with the weapons and the conferences that would be great." Lilith responded. She didn't want to tell her aunt yet. Not until she knew for sure what was going on with Plasmius.

"You can count on seeing me there. I may be a little late though. I've got students to see after school hours." Jazz finished.

"Okay, I'll see you there!" Lilith responded and then left the office.

Jazz sighed after her niece left. "I was so close…" She muttered. She looked around the office. Behind her she recognized some burn marks. "Heh…I'd forgotten how much progress Danny made with his powers. This old office would have been burn to a crisp had he done the damage a few months later…" She reminisced. "I miss you so much, little brother..."

_**Break!**_

After school the quintet of students arrived at the Fenton house. Lilith led the way having been there many times before to Ted's one time visit. Ami was right behind her, eager to get a close look at all the weapons.

"It's really creepy in here…" Cam said, walking slowly in the back of the group. He'd remembered suddenly on the way to the house that he had grown on to his father's fear of ghosts.

"There's no reason why there would be a ghost here Cam." Stacy said. "There's tons of ghost hunting equipment here. They'd be insane to come here."

"_They'd come if they wanted the technology…"_ Lilith thought nervously to herself.

"There's also no one here to handle the weapons." Cam retorted. "The ghosts are totally safe."

"Not for long…" Ami said convincingly. Lilith felt her already short breath tighten further.

"Does…does anyone hear that? I think it's coming from the basement lab." Ted suddenly said.

Lilith listened closely as she put her ear against the door, although it wasn't hard to hear. The voice was loud…and nasily. "Oh, no…" Lilith said in horror as she opened the door and ran down the steps and into the lab.

Once there she saw the being responsible for the noise. "Technus…" She said mostly to herself in agony. "What are you _doing_ here?" She demanded exasperated.

Lilith heard the rest of her friends' footsteps reach where she was. Technus turned around at that time and greeted her with a smile. "Ah! Hello Ghost-child! You are just in time to witness I, Technus: Master of all Technology in my latest plan to take command of the entire world's electronic gadgetry!"

"Who is this guy?" Stacy asked innocently enough. Lilith didn't have time to stop her. The damage had been done.

"Who am I? I am Technus, master of all things scientific and technological! Now that I have finally escaped the confines of the internet I shall use its resources to take command of all things electronical that may or may not work!" He ranted in his nasally voice.

Ami gave off a noise of uncaring. "Who cares who he is, he's a ghost bent on world domination. I'm blasting him to bits."

"Why did he call you 'Ghost-child'?" Cam said as he asked the other 'innocently enough' question.

"Why? Because that is what she is!" Technus began to rant again as Lilith tried to give him her 'shut up' signal, motioning across her throat. Ted began to look worried as well, but didn't know what to do about it. Ami and Stacy were now very interested in this as Ami had stopped looking for a decent weapon.

"She is part ghost as well as human." Technus continued to blurt out Lilith's secret without even realizing it. "You may see her now as a human, but she has a ghost form that you four do not know about, just like her father, the previous ghost-child."

Lilith was white as a ghost, which considering most ghosts that she actually knew, wasn't very white, more of a greenish color. Rather, in a figure of speech, she was white.

"What?" Cam and Stacy asked simultaneously. Both could hardly comprehend this new information.

"Guys, please don't freak out." Ted began Lilith's defense.

For the first time Technus looked down at the scene and suddenly realized what he had done. "Ah, whoops…"

A shot of a gun was fired and Technus freaked out enough to fly back to the Ghost Zone as fast as he could. The remaining four kids turned to Ami, who was holding the smoking gun.

"I missed him, rats." She muttered. She put the weapon down and walked up to Lilith, who was shaking worse than a leaf. "Lily…is it really true, what that ghost just said?" She asked in a more concerned tone.

Lilith was very, very tempted to go invisible and leave forever, but that would mean no more school and therefore no more human world for the rest of her life. Having Ted find out was bad enough, now all of her friends knew. She didn't want to loose any of them because of her secret and now she was very afraid. But her parents were out there somewhere, alive. If revealing her secret to her friends was what it took to progress foreward in finding them, then so be it.

So, instead of saying anything Lilith swallowed hard and let the transformation of appearance do the talking for her. She stood before them in her ghost form and awaited their reactions with nervous hands and several gulps.

"That…is _so_ cool Lily! _You're_ the new ghost-kid?" Cam's voice came first. He was excited. The strong quarterback lifted his friend up in a hug and twirled her around. Lilith didn't know how to respond. She kept a confused, yet still horrified look on her face as she held on to him tight.

As Cam let her down to the ground, she felt a poke in her shoulder and turned to see Stacy. "I thought that you couldn't touch ghosts…I give you hugs every day at school! How's that work?"

"It…its part of my powers, I can control when I'm intangible or invisible." Lilith said shakily.

"You might as well tell them about your other powers too." Ted suggested off to the side.

"You knew man?" Cam asked.

Ted nodded. "I saw her transform after the Homecoming dance." He said simply and left it at that.

"So how many other powers do you have? That kind of makes you like a superhero, right? Just like Danny Phantom! You beat up the bad ghosts and keep us all safe! We can totally help you with that!" Stacy said enthusiastically.

"I'm in!" Cam followed up, raising his hand.

"I'm not sure how much I can help, but I'm in too." Ted responded.

All eyes fell upon Ami, who hadn't said a word since Lilith's transformation. The girl sighed heavily. "Well, if Lily is brave enough to trust us with her big secret, I might as well tell you guys mine. It kind of ties in…you know my dad works for the government right?" There were nods from everyone. "Well, he works specifically for the Guys in White, the government's ghost hunting division. I've been known to help him out on several occasions…" She let that fade out for contemplation.

Lilith had squeaked upon hearing this new information and couldn't help but stare at her friend in fear. Ami smiled and winked. "Don't worry Lily. You're secret's safe with me. I'd be insane to let this chance slip by. I prefer to work apart from the government anyway, too many rules and regulations. This is my perfect chance to do some ghost hunting…with my best friends."

Lilith stood still for a moment, soaking in all this information. She seemed shocked that she still had all of her original friends after finding out her secret.

"Thank you." She said suddenly after a moment of silence with tears in her eyes. "You honestly don't know how much this means to me. Ever since I was little I've lived a ghosts' existance. I've never had human friends or knew what it was like to go to school, to live normally, to be _alive_. Thank you. All of you."

"We can definitely help you with that." Ted nodded firmly, referring the the living 'normally' bit.

"But now we've got to find you a secret identity." Ami said. "You've got the look, but we need a name to keep the reporters happy." She spoke like she knew from experience. No one asked.

Ted smiled. "I guess the only suitable name for you would be Lily Phantom."

"Are you insane?" Lilith exclaimed. "I can't use part of my real name! People will catch on!"

"No one noticed your dad." He responded back calmly.

"Your dad? Wait…_Danny_ _Phantom_…you're kidding Lily, right?" Cam sorted out. His sharp brain he had inherited from his mother.

"You do realize this just makes you even cooler now." Stacy stated importantly.

Ami just laughed. "The ghost, Technus, did blurt that out. _How_ in the world have you survived all these years, Lily?"

"That's a story for later." Lilith said, still slightly embarrassed that she was the center of attention and not for a bad reason.

"Now that's settled, we can all be team Phantom!" Cam said.

"No! Guys this is too much…" Lilith said, turning a bright shade of red.

"Trust me Lily. I've been picking team names since I was in grade school. You're part ghost and you know way more than any of us. It's natural that you're our team captain. Now, what's your first order as leader?" The words rolled easily off of Cam's tongue. Usually he was captain of the team, but that was sports, this was ghost hunting.

Lilith gulped, unsure of what to do next. It all seemed a bit surreal. "Well…I guess we all need weapons…I have my powers and you guys have pick of the room I suppose."

"See! Here's the lipstick! I _knew_ this place would have one of these!" Stacy shouted, holding up her prize. "Way to lead the team, Lily!"

"I call the biggest, most powerful gun here." Ami said solidly.

"Hey, this thing looks pretty cool." Cam said, holding the Fenton Fisher and getting a feel for it. "It's just like a fishing rod, only it probably catches ghosts and stuff."

Ted looked around the room. "I've got a device at home actually. I was dared to come in here during elementary school. I don't know what it does, but when Jazz gets here I'll ask her."

"That's right! I totally forgot Jazz was coming! I haven't told her my secret guys, just act normal when she comes." Lilith said quickly, transforming back before she forgot.

Cam gave a thoughtful look at all the weapons in the room. "I wonder why the Fenton's left this entire collection behind. I thought they were still ghost hunting."

"Maybe they don't work…the Fenton's never did catch Danny Phantom even thought they were always trying to and Phantom always caught the ghost in the end." Stacy mused.

"Oh they work all right." said a new voice. Jazz was standing behind them all. "My brother was always the guinea pig, even though my parents never knew it."

The teens tensed. "How much did you hear?" Lilith asked.

Jazz sighed. "I really didn't want to say anything, but when I told you earlier today that I knew a lot, I meant it. I know about you being part ghost. I knew about my brother and how his ghost powers transferred to you. It was always hard to baby-sit you with your powers acting up all the time though." She reminisced.

"You knew?" Was all Lilith could think of to say.

"You knew Lily when she was little?" Ted asked. "But she's been living in the Ghost Zone…" He wandered off.

Jazz stared. You could have heard a pin drop. "You've been living…_where_!"

**A/N: And there you have our mid-way point and the first actual cliffhanger. Which means I have a question for all of you. I've been dabbling in a lot of ideas for prequels and sequels and I'd like to get your opinion on that. Right now a Prequel seems more likely. It would be about Lilith's younger years from the point when Skulker finds her until the beginning of this fic. I can't say anything about a sequel now, 'cause that would ruin a scene in the epilogue. **

**The plan as of right now is to just add a bunch of scenes together and have it almost be like a drabble session, only it's just a bunch of clips from Lilith's life in the Ghost Zone. I have a lot of ideas now, but I'm asking you readers for suggestions. Remember, anything from age 4 to 14 will work. **

**The genre can be anything and you guys don't even have to think of anything either. Just if you have an idea, PM me and I'll see if I can work it in somewhere, I have space to fill. This is also a lot like what the epilogue is going to be like as well, so suggestions for that would be appreciated as well. **

**Again, thank you reviews and faithful readers. It really does mean a lot to me. This is becoming one fic I am very proud of. Not because of content really, but because I'm actually going to finish it. So the big thanks goes out to: katiesparks, Sweeteen19, DP fan, The Sleep Warrior, and A Friend for the encouraging comments. Not too thrilled with this chapter, so remember, opinions, comments and critiques are not only welcomed, but are read with intent. **

**Later.**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Stuff happens. I know last chapter was kind of boring with all the original characters and such. They're not in this one much, so you can enjoy more of the show characters, like Vlad…and Danny.**

**I love Danny's intro to this chapter. He's so sarcastic. Also explained: Why Vlad never got a cat and his master plan is revealed! Man why does that have to sound so much like a pun….**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one. **

_**Line Break!**_

**Maddie:** You'll never believe it. We were on our way to the Symposium and our pilot forced us out of the plane right over your house.  
**Danny:** Yeah, it's almost like it's some sort of villainous plot. What an incredibly well planned coincidence.  
**Vlad:** That would be an oxymoron, my dear boy. Oh, and speaking of morons: how's your old man?  
_(Danny growls angrily; eyes change to green)_  
**Vlad:**_(Pretending to be scared)_ Ooh, the scary eyes! _(Shoots an energy blast out of his eyes at Danny and knocks him into a wall)_

_**Line Break!**_

Jazz couldn't believe what she had just heard. When Lilith finally told her she still didn't really believe it.

"I've lived in the Ghost Zone." She admitted again. "I _still_ do. See, I'm not hurt at all; I'm not emotionally scarred for life. I'm normal….as I can be." Lilith stuttered nervously.

"Lily, that's crazy! Danny's most powerful and dangerous enemies are all there! They did know who you were, right?" Jazz panicked. "I don't understand how you could still be alive. You _are_ still alive right?"

"Yes!" Lilith said, exasperated. "I know. I'm constantly reminded of that fact, thank you. They're not bad. It may not seem like it, but they _do_ care about me."

Jazz still seemed unconvinced and was possibly going to say something more, but let it drop for the moment after seeing the pleading look to stop in her niece's eyes. The friends sighed with relief for her in the background.

Moments only last for so long.

"There you are Whelp! Technus just came by screaming something about ghost hunters. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you? I told you to stay away from them!" It was only after he said this that Skulker noted all of the people in the room, including a certain redhead who looked all too familiar.

"_You_!" Jazz shrieked, reaching for the nearest weapon. She tore the Fenton Bazooka out of Ami's arms. The younger girl looked rather sad about it.

Ted winced. "I don't know what I'm afraid of more; a hunter ghost in a metal battle suit or the angry school counselor with the big gun."

Skulker responded to Jazz's outburst by bringing out his own really big missile launcher. "Ah, I suppose you would be the Ghost-child's aunt, wouldn't you?"

Lilith's eyes darted around nervously. She transformed once again and quickly flew up and got in between the two. Having seen the basic transformation many times, neither Jazz nor Skulker stopped glaring at each other. "Wait, stop! I don't want you two to fight. We're all on the same side here!" Lilith begged.

"Same side!" Jazz had finally lost it, it seemed. "Ghost X has been after Danny for years! I bet for sure he even had a hand in his disappearance."

"Ghost X…?" Lilith suddenly asked, very confused.

Jazz blinked. "Err…sorry, a bad habit. Skulker, right?"

"Indeed. Now I need to get you home." He said to Lilith, moving down towards her and taking her by the arm. "Plas-…" Skulker was not able to finish his sentence.

"Home…she lives with _you_!" Jazz said in horrid realization. She couldn't take it any more of this. "There's no way she's going back with you. Lilith is staying here with me and the rest of her _real_ family."

"Aunt Jazz, please don't…" Lilith pleaded, still between the two.

"Wait, Jazz is your aunt?" Stacy asked mindlessly out of nowhere. Ami elbowed her less than gently to shut her up.

"She is coming back with me." Skulker said missiles at ready. "I may have been denied the Ghost-boy's pelt, but I won't have this child escape my grasp."

"I can't believe you! You're going down _now_!" Jazz lifted the gun further, ready to shoot.

"Wait, please, both of you stop!" Lilith continued desperately. It was too late as they both fired on the other. The portable doorway to the Ghost Zone slipped by her and hit Skulker before she could stop it, but she did manage to get between Jazz and the missiles. It didn't end well.

As Skulker was sucked into the Ghost Zone against his will the missiles impacted with Lilith. She instantly transformed back to her human form and fell to the floor, barely conscious.

"Lily!" cried the remaining group collectively as they rushed to see if she was alright.

Lilith rolled over in pain. Her eyes shut tightly to grapple with it. Jazz had taken a first aid kit off of the wall and was now putting it to good use.

"Why did you go and do something stupid like that…" Jazz muttered. Cam was helping her wrap bandages and the others watched on in worry.

"Kids, I want you to get me some clean towels and then I need a couple of wet washcloths. You should find some in my parent's old bedroom." Jazz ordered. Stacy and Ted immediately left to do that.

"There's some antiseptic left in Danny's old room I think. Get some." She told Ami, who nodded. "Apply more pressure to the heavy bleeding areas." She then told Cam, who nodded wordlessly.

"Hmm…I see this was as good a time as ever to drop by." Said a new voice. Jazz looked up to see the last person she ever wanted to lay eyes on.

"Vlad, what are you doing here?" She demanded. Cam continued to apply pressure and treat Lilith's wounds, but listened to the conversation in the room despite the fact that he was thoroughly freaked out at the moment. Three ghosts in one day was a bit too much for him, but kept his mind by making sure Lilith was alright.

Vlad Plasmius floated down towards the small group with a smile. "Jasmine, I am most upset that you never told me you had a niece. And it seems she's inherited her father's powers." He said now kneeling to get a good look at the still barely conscious Lilith.

"You stay away from her." Jazz said menacingly, a voice that meant business.

Lilith slowly opened her eyes to look at the newcomer. "You're…Plasmius?" she said in a soft voice.

Cam put a finger to his lips. "Don't talk Lily, try to rest."

"I see your friends have filled you in since your encounter with the Fright Knight." Vlad said to confirm her question. "I was rather upset when you declined my offer to visit." He said mockingly.

"She's in no condition to have a bout of witty banter, Vlad. Leave her alone." Jazz said again. "And for that matter, neither am I."

Vlad stood up again. "You're all so serious today. Very well, I have a few questions to ask you about your parents, Jasmine. Firstly, where _are_ they?" He finished with an almost humorous tone. Jazz almost laughed at the fact that he really didn't know.

"Even if I did know where my parents were, I wouldn't tell you." She countered.

Lilith coughed behind them as she opened her eyes again, focusing them on Vlad. "I…I want to see my mom and dad." She said simply trying very hard to sound threatening, and then had to focus on relieving her pain again.

It took Jazz a moment to grasp what her niece had just asked. "_You_ have Danny and Sam! It was _you_ all along!" She was already angry after Skulker, now she was furious.

"Who else Jasmine, really what did you expect? That they were dead?" Vlad explained almost impatiently. "Even if it hadn't been me I certainly wouldn't have allowed _that_ to happen."

Jazz growled. "Normally, I'm the patient one, the rational one, the responsible one. I think this time I can make an exception." She said shortly as she aimed the Fenton Bazooka at him.

"And you're going to send me to the Ghost Zone? Where I can escape and come back to you again? An excellent plan." Vlad applauded sarcastically as Jazz realized that it really wouldn't work. For extra measure though, the eldest half-ghost destroyed the bazooka with a well aimed ecto-blast.

"I still want to know where your parents are, Jasmine. Since it seems you don't know where they are either, I'll give you some time to find out. Chaperone the field trip to Wisconsin this spring, I'll be awaiting my answer there and then. In the meantime…" He said with evil intent.

Vlad used his ghostly powers to lift Lilith at a distance, bringing her to his awaiting arms. The sensation was new to the girl as she was flying, but not in control of her body. "As I was saying, in the meantime, who am I do deny this child's request to see her parents?"

With his newest prize Vlad disappeared, presumably to fly off to one of his mansions. Jazz sighed deeply. She felt like bursting into tears. First she had lost her brother, then his friends and now she'd lost her niece again for the second time.

Cam put a hand on his counselor's shoulder. "I know this should be the other way around, but if you've gotta talk…or come up with a rescue plan; we're all here for you."

"Dr. Fenton! We found the towels and the antiseptic, what do…" Ted called as he, along with Stacy and Ami ran down the stairs. He stopped as he saw the lack of Lilith in the room. "What happened?" He asked as he saw Jazz kneeling on the floor and Cam trying to do what he could to comfort her.

_**Scene Break!**_

Lilith had passed out during the flight. She knew she felt the familiar rushing of the wind against her skin, a feeling she usually loved more than anything. Her mind was preoccupied with other things too much to be able to enjoy it though, and being kidnapped was only part of it.

When she finally came to it was to the feeling of a very comfortable sofa. She panicked momentarily as she was too used to waking up to the hum of her cage.

"I see you're awake at last." She heard the voice of Plasmius nearby. Lilith slowly sat up. She felt infinitely better. Her ghostly tissues had repaired her to a point, now she was just sore.

"Need anything? Aspirin perhaps, I can only image what kind of weapon caused your injuries." Lilith heard Plasmius tell her.

"No…" She responded slowly. So, he hadn't seen the skirmish between Jazz and Skulker? "I just want some answers for once. You're the reason my life is the way it is, so I might as well get to the bottom of this now."

"Oh, you're a cheeky one, aren't you? Very well, we'll get strait to the point." Plasmius told her. Lilith watched as the vampiric looking ghost did something that she was acutely familiar with. The rings relieved the man behind it all in a very neat black suit.

"You…you're just like me…" Lilith trailed off, astonished. There were _three_ of them now.

"Yes, yes I am." Vlad told her in a satisfactory tone, "Which is why I'm going to make you the same offer I made to your father many, many years ago. You're young, talented, you think you're invincible. I went through the process of learning to control and increase my powers over forty years ago, I can help you. Join me and I will make it worth your while."

Lilith studied the man closely. "So why didn't my dad join you? There has to be a catch."

"Perceptive." Vlad granted as he poured a cup of tea for each of them. "You obviously have your mother's brains; it never was Daniel's strong point. I'm lead to believe that the females in your family seem to inherit everything useful."

"Where are my parents anyway?" Lilith asked as she looked around the living room and Vlad handed her a cup of tea.

"Safe for the moment. I'm sure you'd like to meet them. Let's go see your mother first, shall we? You can dwell on my offer for a while." Vlad suggested congenially.

Lilith eyed him warily, but stood up and walked over to the door her host was motioning to. _"What I wouldn't give for a familiar face…"_ She found herself thinking with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She soon felt the strong grip of Vlad's hand rest on her shoulder, leading her through the mansion.

"So, where are we?" She asked a bit nervously, looking at all the sights to take in. The feeling she had was alike to when Skulker had first taken her to the Ghost Zone. Only this time she knew almost fully why she was there.

"We are currently just a few miles out of Madison, Wisconsin, my dear. This is my house, or I suppose it would be more correct to say mansion." Vlad responded in a conversational tone. "You just go ahead and make yourself at home while you're here."

"…I want to see my parents before anything." Lilith said, taking her ground. Vlad seemed slightly annoyed at this, but ignored it in the end.

The elder half-ghost opened a large door and forced Lilith in a bit unnecessarily. The teenager looked around and her eyes rested on two large machines on the opposite side of the room. She wiggled her way out of Vlad's grip and walked straight over to the other side as if she was possessed.

"Mom…" she whispered in disbelief. Behind the glass in a restful state was Sam. In the glass container next to her was Tucker in a similar position.

"They were test subjects." Vlad explained as casually as before. "I wanted to see if a person could really survive in suspended animation for a prolonged period of time; the future market for such knowledge would be staggering, don't you agree?"

Lilith didn't answer, but continued to stare at her mother, whom she had not seen in ten years. It was like a bad dream. She was really here, in the flesh, no illusions. She wasn't dreaming of past events. This was the now. This was real.

"It would take an extremely complex procedure to wake them up." Vlad continued to elaborate in the same manner. "Even if I were inclined to do so it is entirely possible that they wouldn't be the same. It would take years of physical therapy to get them back to normal." He said in a fake concerned voice.

"Wake them up." Lilith demanded suddenly.

"What was that?" Vlad asked innocently, with an evil smile on his face.

Lilith turned around. "Let them out, _now_." She said as transformed into her ghost form. "I want my mom back!" She said in a rare display of true anger. "_Everything_! It's all your fault!" Ecto-energy began to form in her hands. She balled up one of them and made her ecto-sword with her left hand. She immediately shot the basketball sized ecto-blast right at Vlad and then came flying after it with sword gripped in both hands.

Vlad didn't even bother switching forms. He blocked the ecto-blast with minimal effort and then caught Lilith by the wrist before she could slice him. Her weapon dissipated as she felt a very painful and draining sensation. She couldn't help but scream.

"That was an impressive little trick, to manipulate your ecto-energy like that. Let me show you one of mine, this is a device that you will soon become very familiar with." Vlad said as Lilith continued to deal with the pain. "I first used it on your father many years ago. I call it the Plasmius Maximus. It is special to you because it shorts out your ghost powers for a period of three hours." As if on cue Lilith's own transformation rings finally appeared and did their duty.

She looked around frantically, still being held by Vlad. "I…don't feel any different." She noted to herself.

"Of course not, I've been more than generous with you Lilith. I've done some upgrades in the years I was all alone." He smiled evilly in her terrified face. "It'll last for a good twelve hours now. You can reach your own conclusions from there." He finished as he let her drop to the ground roughly.

Lilith didn't feel much pain following the initial wave, but she stood up slowly. She looked back at the tanks with a longing pain in her eyes. Then she turned to Vlad. "I suppose this is when I ask what's going to happen to me next." She said, still afraid and it was evident in her voice.

Vlad smiled and put a friendly arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer than Lilith would have liked. "We're going to have a little chat, like a good family."

"I'm not your family." Lilith said, averting her eyes.

"You will be as soon as I have my lawyers draw up the adoption papers." Vlad said in a very happy tone. "Your parents are missing and I happened upon their kidnapped child and rescued her from the evil ghosts." Vlad told her his little story he was planning on using for an alibi for the authorities.

"They aren't evil!" Lilith yelled suddenly at him.

Well, that was different. Vlad blinked in surprise. He had been expecting her to comment on; A: nothing, B: the adoption or C: the fact that _he_ had been the one to kidnap her and her parents. He did not expect the response she gave with as option D with such determination.

"Oh really?" Now he was curious. He let go of his snug grip to face her. "Who isn't evil?"

"The ghosts, they aren't evil. They may be a little weird," Lilith consented, her eyes downcast, "but definitely not evil."

"Do you know that your father fought these 'weird' ghosts so that they wouldn't take over the world and so he could prevent them from killing him?" Vlad pressed like any good villain, using this opportune moment.

"I did know." She snapped a bit too defensively. "They told me all about that when I was growing up." Lilith said defiantly. "But they wouldn't do that anymore. They're better than that. _They're_ my real family, not you!"

"Do you mean to tell me, that the ghosts raised you? It wasn't Jasmine?" Vlad said, honestly surprised.

"I didn't meet my aunt Jazz until she came to work at Casper High." Lilith gave as her answer a little shakily.

"Well, this _is_ rather unexpected, but most ironic. They never told you about me?" Lilith shook her head. "I'm a little hurt, but this is something that will be easily remedied." He said as he took her wrist and forced her out the door.

Lilith gave one last look at her mother before being dragged out the room. She fervently wished she was home and she didn't care if Desiree granted it.

"Where are we going?" Lilith asked trying to keep up with Vlad's semi-fast pace.

Vlad stopped to face her. "Tell me Lilith, how badly have you wanted to meet your father?"

Lilith refused to look at him. "Even since I was little I used to dream about it. I sort of remember mom telling me about him, but I was so little I don't recall much.. After living apart from both of them for so long I just wanted to know if they were alive, and _not_ in some weird sleep-like state." She ended bitterly.

"I can assure you that your father is very much conscious. He's rather talkative at times too. You see, for years your father and I have been the only two half-ghosts in existence." He explained. "Well, unless you count that clone of his, three, but that is unimportant at the moment." He said as a side note unhappily. He continued lovingly. "Now you're the latest in what will be a long line of half-ghost children. I want that legacy to be mine, not that idiot Jack Fenton's!" He ended angrily.

"I'm not going to help you." Lilith said stubbornly. "You can't force me to do anything. When the police find out my aunt is around, they'll grant custody to her." Of course she didn't mention that there would even be arguments after that between Jazz and Skulker.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Vlad challenged.

Lilith sighed. "I lived in a cage for the last ten years. I read a lot of books, watched tons of movies and fixed a lot of weapons as well as learned to use them and my powers. I had a _lot_ of free time. Walker has tons of old law books in his office; I snuck a peak at them when he tried to put me in the juvenile detention center."

"Walker has a juvenile detention center?" Vlad asked, genuinely surprised.

"No, he just calls it something different to make it sound impressive. It's just like the rest of the prison." Lilith admitted dully.

"Oh, well that's interesting, but I'm getting us off topic. I have my ways of getting what I want. Let me show you one of them." Vlad transformed into his ghost form and took Lilith down to his lab. At first she didn't see anything of interest, but then she heard one.

"Nice of you to drop in Vlad," said a rather bored voice. "It's only been, what, two days? You're human too you know, it would be nice to extend the courtesy and at least leave me _something to eat_ if you're going to be gone!" The male voice complained.

"I was in the middle of some very important business, Daniel. You're not going to starve to death in two days."

Danny's eye twitched behind the bars. "I think I finally figured out why you never took my advice to get a cat. It would die from neglect, but then Sam would've beaten the crap out of you. That would have been funny." He admitted happily.

"I got you some more cereal last week. Be happy." Vlad scolded. Neither man noticed or remembered the dumbstruck girl in their presence.

Danny's hands flew up in frustration. "Okay, fine, after fourteen years, I get the point! I'll stop calling you fruit-loop! I _understand_ that it offends you, that _is_ why I used it in the first place, but this is torture in its true form! Now I know how a dog feels, having the same dog-food every day." He said, leaning against the bars in finality.

"…Dad…?" A small voice broke the silence.

Vlad smiled wickedly. Danny could only stare at what he immediately recognized as his daughter. "Oh. My…" He breathed. If he hadn't believed Vlad at first, there was no doubt in his mind now.

"As you can see, Daniel, I wasn't lying." He opened the door to the cage and let Lilith in before closing it again. "I'll be back soon. I'll give the two of you some alone time. Oh, and Daniel…?"

"What?" Danny asked impatiently.

"My offer still stands, even after all these years." Vlad said simply before leaving the two alone.

Danny couldn't find the words to say anything. He continued to stare at the likeness of himself and Sam, still not truly believing that this was _his_ child, through _normal_ means and everything.

Lilith was equally stupefied. She soon began to well up with tears and then embraced her father in a tight hug. Danny returned the favor, still a bit stunned.

"You're real." She sobbed. "You're alive and you're real." This was all she could think of to say, even after all the time she had used to dream of this moment.

Danny closed his eyes in thought. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace as he continued to hold his daughter. "I hate to ruin your moment, but this is the first time I've actually seen you. I didn't even know I _had_ a daughter until last week. I'm still in shock here."

"That's okay." Lilith said still crying as she looked up at him with a smile. "I've only seen one picture of you. The feeling's mutual."

The two laughed a bit. Lilith refused to let go. Danny took a handkerchief out of his back pocket and used it to dry some of her tears. "Look at you; you look just like your mother." He chuckled.

"Really? Everybody says I look like you." Lilith said a bit confused.

"Well, sure, it's hard not to see with the ghost powers and all, but you've definitely got a lot of Sam in you; her nose, ears, mouth, even your hair is straight like her's. But I'll bet her and Jazz had a heck of a time raising you. I could barely control my powers when I first got them, but I at least got them at an older age."

"Aunt Jazz _did_ say something along those lines." Lilith told him with a smile. "Wait, how did you know about my ghost powers?"

"Gut feeling." Danny replied, winking. "It comes with the job. So, how is Jazz doing? I haven't seen her since the wedding." Danny asked, settling down on his bed. Lilith sat down next to him.

"She's fine. She just took the job as our school counselor, so I get to see her every day." Lilith said happily. She was just thrilled to be having a conversation with her dad for the first time ever.

"Oh, I suppose she works a lot, so you probably didn't get to see her much at home then." Danny assumed.

"No…" Lilith said tentatively. She had been hoping to avoid this, especially so early into their first conversation. "I didn't even know I had any living relatives until last month. …I grew up in the Ghost Zone." She finally admitted.

Danny was silent for a moment before giving off some nervous laughter. "You're kidding, right?"

Lilith shook her head. She took hold of her dad's handcuffs and gave them a quick look over. "These handcuffs are Skulker's. They're an earlier model, but I could probably get in and get them off just as easily as the newer ones."

Lilith stood up and walked around the cell for a bit. "This looks a lot like one of the old prison cells Walker replaced five years ago. He got the whole penitentiary remodeled after Ember's big rock concert. He didn't have enough room so he had to expand, so he got the whole place fixed up at the same time."

She walked over to the bars and pointed to the large computer near the ghost portal. "That looks like Technus's old computer. I know because he taught me how to use a computer with it. Then the Ghost Writer used it to teach me how to read and write. I know it might be weird for you to believe me, but they've been nothing but good to me, even with their quirks." Lilith ended a bit sadly.

"It is hard for me to believe." Danny admitted, but prevented himself from saying anything stupid. He already saw how nervous Lilith was telling him this. _"As nervous as I was to tell my parents about my ghost powers…which is something I never had the guts to do. She's so much more like Sam than she is like me."_

"I turned out sort of normal." Lilith continued to defend a bit spastically, not knowing about her father's inner monologue. "It's not like I was lonely or had to stay in my room all the time. I have really good friends and I was allowed to go off by myself."

"It's okay." Danny said, smiling warmly taking her into another hug. He'd been a dad for a little less than five minutes and he was already fitting perfectly into the role. "It doesn't matter where you've been or how you grew up, you're still my daughter, and even though I'm still new to this whole 'dad' thing I'll try my best. If Sa- if your mother were here, she'd say the same thing. We love you. I just regret we weren't able to be there for you."

It was the second to last sentence that Lilith had been waiting for. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that." She said, trying to hold back tears. "I needed it really badly."

"I know." Danny said. "I know you did."

_**Scene Change!**_

Bang, the first blast was directly on target. So were the second and also the third and then the round of bullets that followed that.

Skulker scowled. Usually either hunting or putting in some hours in his shooting gallery helped him relax. It wasn't helping tonight.

"_She won't be coming home."_ Said a little voice in the back of his head, it had been troubling him since being thrown in to the Ghost Zone. It would mark the first time in a very long time that she had not been back for dinner, much less for the night. Yes, it was her home. "As it should be."

"_You will be sleeping here tonight." Skulker instructed. Her cage was not completed as he'd had to deal with all of the ghostly company earlier that day. It was late when they were satisfied enough at this turn of events and had left, promising to come back another day._

_So Lilith was sleeping on the couch that night. She had already been stuck on it most of the day anyway, secluded from mostly everyone. He had been a bit hopeful when she had started warming up to Box Lunch. He probably wouldn't have been able to stand the silence from her forever. _

"_But…I don't want to stay here alone…" She begged even as she cuddled into a blanket._

"_It's only for tonight. Now, I'm only going to be in that room over there, so don't try any escape attempts." He warned, though he knew she wouldn't try any._

"_Okay…" She agreed softly, lying down. _

"_Good, let's keep it that way." He threatened. He hadn't needed to, but his overall goal wasn't to be nice._

_Skulker walked back over to his work area. The ghost shield needed some work and the adjoining bathroom needed to be built. But that could wait for tomorrow. He wanted to sleep and felt he deserved some after his big catch. _

_He left his metal suit by the side of the master bed. The room was alike to the main area in that it had pelts, hunting trophies and various hunting equipment. In his true form, the likeness of a little green frog-like creature, he settled in for a satisfying night's sleep. _

_However, Skulker was the only one sleeping. Lilith had not been able to close her eyes. They darted all around the dark room, looking at the heads of former animals/ghosts and their pelts. To the four-year-old girl, it seemed as if they would come alive at any time. She clutched her blanket close and tried to turn around and not look at them, but she felt them staring at her._

_Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She took her blanket and pillow and went into the room Skulker had indicated he would be. _

_She looked around and saw the battle suit standing up in the back. She thought it was him and smiled. She climbed into the bed, now feeling safe that someone was watching over her. _

_As she lifted the covers and settled in, she noticed the green blob that actually was the hunter ghost. She almost couldn't believe her eyes. It was almost exactly like a stuffed animal she had back home. Too thrilled to wonder what it was doing here, she picked it up and quickly fell asleep._

_When Skulker woke up that next morning, he was not pleased. Thankfully Lilith was not awakened by his screams of surprise when he saw the situation. She was much too warn out from yesterday. He immediately flew back into his suit, trying to figure out what had happened. _

"_Wake up, Whelp." He ordered roughly, taking the blankets off with the purpose it would wake her. Her clothes were still dirty and torn; he'd have to give her something else to wear that day as well as a bath-as much as he was dreading it. He had contemplated requesting the assistance of one of the female ghosts, but they had all laughed and said no because they wanted to see 'the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter' give a child a bath._

_Lilith slowly woke up, she still seemed really tired. "Thank you." She said immediately after looking at his towering form. _

_Whatever Skulker had been about to say, he didn't. "What for?" He demanded instead._

"_For letting me stay in your bed. Mommy let me sleep with her all the time and I know you don't really like me all that much…"_

"_And what made you think that?"_

_Lilith shook her head. She didn't want to answer that question. She had already overstepped her bounds and could tell by the tone in Skulker's voice. "Go on, say it." He prompted._

"_Well…you yell at me a lot…I'm not being bad am I?" She looked up at him with such an innocent face that he almost felt bad for her. _

_Almost_

"_Child, let me explain something to you." He motioned for her to come next to him on the bed. She obeyed and looked up as if ready for a bedtime story. "You are not here for your own benefit. You are here because I've taken you into a part of my collection of rare and unique creatures." He said slowly, so that her young mind could comprehend._

"_But…there are lots of humans." She responded in confusion. Well…at least she was understanding some of it. _

"_You're part ghost, child. It makes you completely different." He said, putting his hand around her arm. Lilith didn't say anything about the uncomfortable grip._

"_That's not what my mommy said." She retorted back without thinking. She then sunk back down when she realized she probably shouldn't have said that. _

_Skulker sighed. It was time for a little white lie. "You're the only one there is." He told her. _"The only one I can get anyway." _He thought to himself. She didn't need to know that. The less she knew the better. "The human world doesn't like half-ghosts like you. It's much better for you to stay here in the Ghost Zone."_

_Lilith's eyes widened. "You mean…we're in…" She didn't need to finish her sentence. _

_Skulker laughed, very much amused. "Yes, we are. Where else would I take you? Look, there are some other ghosts who would love to take you away, they'd do much worse than what I have planned for you. So, you must be careful about strange ghosts." There was a chance every now and then the three ghost vultures would appear as well as the Fright Knight. If Plasmius found out this whole thing would be up. Skulker had waited far too long for this opportunity._

_Lilith was still somewhat wary about the entire arrangement, but it wasn't like she had a choice. So she nodded in understanding. "Mommy told me to never go here…that bad things would happen…"_

"_Not as long as you stay with me." He told her. This was good. The more of this she believed the less hassle it would be for him. He didn't get any further with the talk though, as a loud, obnoxious knock came from the door._

"_Hey, Lily! It's me! You comin' out or what!' Yelled Box Lunch's loud voice came from the entryway. She had apparently let herself in. Skulker had a very bad feeling that this would become a habit and there was nothing he could do about it._

"_Go. Be back for dinner." He told her. The child ghost would keep her out of real trouble anyway. Lilith nodded and left a bit hesitantly. She was slowly getting used to the other ghosts and was coping much better than she had the day before. _

_He wasn't that worried. She would be back by dinner. She knew of no where else to go._

"I should have told the child earlier." He berated himself. It didn't seem that long ago those events had taken place. "Now I don't get to hunt anything worthwhile."

He had gone immediately back to the portal, invisible this time. He had encountered four teenagers and a very angry aunt. Lilith hadn't been there. He didn't need to wonder why. As soon as he had heard Plasmius' name in the conversation, he knew where she had gone.

"You mean you probably won't get to enjoy her being around anymore." Said a very annoyed voice.

Skulker turned around and found Box Lunch had snuck in behind him. He chided himself momentarily for not noticing her entrance, but found little comfort in taking it out on the younger ghost. "What do you want, Pest?"

"He finally got Lily, didn't he?" Box Lunch asked sadly.

"Yes, he did, are you happy now?"

"Happy that Plasmius has my best friend? I don't think so! Why?" She told him angrily.

"I don't have her locked up anymore. Wasn't it _you_ that was always yelling on about that?" Skulker said, annoyed and angry.

"I didn't mean to leave you altogether. I meant to let her have a little more freedom, that you'd treat her a little nicer. Lily looks up to you as a parent, she trusts you, and she'd do _anything_ for you! I just can't stand it that you just treat her like a pet."

"No she doesn't." Skulker insisted. "I am not her parent, nor will I ever be."

Box Lunch threw her hands in the air as she gave a loud cry of frustration. "You may not admit it now, but someday I'll get you to see it." She promised. "In all the time I've known Lily she's done nothing but try to please you. When she was little if she could make you happy, she was ecstatic. You've done nothing but cater to her needs. Take it from one who's been watching you two from the outside. She's _your daughter_ in every sense of the word. I just thought it was about time that you treated her like one."

"…_What_…?" The last two sentences threatened to make Skulker rethink his entire afterlife. "She's part of my collection of rare and unique creatures! I am Skulker: The Ghost Zone's greatest hunter! You, Pest, have just about exhausted my patience!"

Box Lunch growled, just as angry. "Fine, be that way Mr. Greatest Hunter!" She said mockingly. "Don't you at least want to try and rescue her? Or are you just going to let your _boss_ get his way until you finally realize it's too late."

"I will deal with it in my own time. Now leave before I decide where I want to put your pelt, a ghost who was born naturally would be an excellent addition to my collection…" He threatened.

"Fine" Box Lunch relented, sighing. "But beware; the halfas are in control our future and I don't want the future to be in the hands of Plasmius. In the meantime, I'm going to try and do something. It's time I go serve the creep a big helping of doom." She smirked evilly.

"He'll destroy you." Skulker warned. "Plasmius is _at least_ ten times more powerful than you'll ever hope to be."

"Then help me!" Box Lunch pleaded for the final time. "You've raised her up to this point, don't let her down now."

"You're a child; you don't know what you're getting into."

"It doesn't matter. I'm getting my friend back." She said with finality before zipping off.

"Stupid Pest…" Skulker resumed his shooting. He kept firing, but all of his bullets and ecto-blasts missed the targets.

**A/N: I am in_ love_ with this chapter. Box Lunch _finally_ got to yell at Skulker. Lilith _finally_ got to meet Danny and vise versa. And Jazz _finally_ figured out the whole truth. Yeah, this was kinda a big chapter. And gasp! Is there development in Skulker's character! Does he feel guilty! Is he going to change for the better!**

**It's Skulker. Even if he did, he'd never admit it.**

**I hope the first meeting was satisfactory. It didn't change much from the original version, so I think that's a good thing.**

**You can thank Sleep Warrior for the longer chapter and the idea to incorporate more past scenes in the actual fic. So now I'm scrambling around trying to find the best places for them. It's working out better than I thought though, so don't worry about me missing the weekly update.**

**In other news, I've started a forum to talk about the various ghosts of the show. I figure it can also be the sort-of official home of the Clockwork fanclub. It's appropriately named: Blathering on about Ghosts. So, if you wanna drop a line in and rant about Clockwork's coolness or about how awesome another ghost is that'd be cool. If not, don't worry about it.**

**Special thanks to my happy reviewers from last chapter: DP fan, Jessica, Sleep Warrior, Anonymous Reader 13 and Sweeteen19. You guys rock my fanfiction world, which says a lot.  
**

**Next Chapter Teaser: Lilith meets her grandparents. Her _Fenton_ grandparents.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**I am amazed by the turnout for chapter 8. You guys are astounding. **

**Danny gets his hero-complex back…(rolls eyes) as if it had ever left him. Then Lilith meets her grandparents. **

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

_**:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)**_

**Sam:**_(To Danny, after he is beaten up by ghosts)_ Are you okay?  
_(Danny stares at her)_  
**Sam:** Sorry. Standard question. _(Helps him up)_ What was that about?  
**Danny:** I don't know, but I think Vlad Plasmius just became the least of my worries.

_**:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)**_

It was the wee hours of the morning. Not that Danny could tell. There were no windows in Vlad's 'secret' laboratory. Lilith had fallen asleep hours before. Danny was still holding on to her, absentmindedly stroking her hair. The paternal instinct had kicked in faster than he had anticipated. It still seemed unbelievable that she was his daughter. His only child.

And at the moment, he was feeling _very_ protective of her.

He chose to stay awake and watch over her. Vlad hadn't come back yet, but Danny was sure the older man was scheming something and whatever plan it was, probably surrounded around Lilith. He would be ready to make sure nothing happened to her.

"If only…" Danny thought out loud, sadly. "I'll find a way to get you out of here. I promise. You've already suffered enough because of me."

Lilith moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Danny and she immediately shot up. "It wasn't a dream. It really did happen." She said, amazed.

"Did you sleep okay?" He asked.

Lilith nodded. "One of the best I've ever had. Now we can get out of here together!" She said excitedly. "All of us."

Danny frowned. "I don't think that'll be possible. I need to stay for Sam and Tucker. I won't leave without them and…Vlad isn't that easy to defeat."

"But if we team up…" Lilith started, Danny shook his head.

"No. If worse comes to worse, let me deal with Vlad. He's my archenemy, not yours." Danny explained.

"But he took you and mom away from me. He ruined my life!" Lilith said angrily.

Danny's heart stopped for a moment. "'Ruined my life' was the phrase everybody seemed to be using these days. All Vlad ever talked about was Jack 'ruining his life'. Danny had ruined many plans that ghosts had in store. The accident that had given him his ghost powers had almost in essense ruined his own childhood. It was the attitude that had started this entire nightmare; and that was still behind _everything_.

"Don't say that Lily. I hate Vlad just as much as you do, probably more, but don't ever say he ever ruined your life. You said yourself you enjoyed living in the Ghost Zone, right? They took good care of you, however much it creeps me out." He sighed. "Look, there are many different twists and turns life may, or may not take. But there's _always_ more than one good path available to you."

"I suppose you're right…" Lilith said eyes downcast.

"I know I'm right." Danny said smugly. "A good friend once told me that, and he's _never_ wrong."

The swishing sound of the ghost portal interrupted the father/daughter bonding time. Out of the portal came a ghost that Lilith was very well acquainted with.

"Box Lunch!" Lilith cried quickly running over to the bars. "What are you doing here?"

"Box Lunch?" Danny asked, mostly to himself. "Oh no."

The young ghost brushed herself off, but then floated over to Lilith. "I came to rescue you, duh." She said as if it should be obvious.

"You came by yourself?" Danny asked quizzically.

Box Lunch gave Danny a critical look. "I know you from somewhere…" She said out loud.

"He's my _dad_." Lilith provided. "How in the world could you…"

Box Lunch eyed him again, not allowing Lilith to finish her question. "It _is_ you!" She declared finally. "…but you remember me?"

"My kitchen, the Nasty Burger? I was also thoroughly grossed out. Of course I remember."

"I'm not crazy!" She said, elated. "Wait until I tell Youngblood! He owes me!"

"A date." Lilith filled in, looking quite pleased with herself that she had at least one thing to tease Box Lunch about even if it had no foundation whatsoever.

"Not date!" She shot back with a glare. Lilith continued to look at her best friend with a smirk.

"Box Lunch and Youngblood? That's another _major_ 'Ew'." Danny concluded.

"We're getting off topic." Box Lunch interrupted seriously. "I've got to get you out of here before Plasmius finds out I'm here. We can talk later."

"I can't leave." Danny and Lilith said at the same time. The parent and child gave each other creepy looks after that.

"Man, if there was any doubt you two were related it's gone now." Box Lunch sighed. "Why not? If he gets control of you two, we're all doomed!"

"_That's_ more like the Box Lunch I remember." Danny said lightly. "I was beginning to think you were some evil clone. But seriously, I can't leave without Sam and Tucker."

"And I'm not leaving without mom and dad." Lilith said, equally stubborn.

Box Lunch's eye twitched. "You're all the same! You all think you can do anything, that you're invincible like some kind of superhero! Well, beware! I got news for you, you're _not_."

"Although…" came a new voice. "They do share some remarkable superhero characteristics." Lilith's stomach tightened as Vlad Plasmius came before them. "For example, if you hold some close friends captive, you can get them to do anything you want."

"Box Lunch, look out!" Lilith barely had time to warn her friend before Plasmius had her in a small ghost shield, again she noted sorely that it was Skulker's design. "Let her go!"

Vlad didn't have a chance to respond to her. "You've gotten away with too many things Plasmius. It's time somebody did something about it." Box Lunch informed him. "Beware." She said with a well trained smirk. It surprised Danny to see the ghost girl break out of the box.

"When did _she_ get so powerful? That was a ghost shield!" He had to ask in utter astonishment. The fact that a ghost could break out of a ghost shield was not something he was used to. It was also something he had to keep in mind.

Lilith blushed. "Well…we sort of use Skulker's training facilities without his permission sometimes…"

"I suppose the fact that it was a box helped a bit, didn't it?"

"Maybe, it was an old model though. Not as strong. At least she doesn't use too many puns anymore. She used to be much worse, and her dad's really bad too."

"You don't know the half of it." Danny moaned, thinking about the Box Ghost. The subject was dropped then and there.

Box Lunch was able to surprise not only Danny, but also Plasmius long enough to get a box-shaped attack in. It barely singed his cape.

Plasmius laughed. "You actually think you can beat me? Oh, this is good. My turn." He said before returning the ecto-blast favor. This one hurt Box Lunch much more than her own had hurt Vlad.

Box Lunch tried to stand up, but found she didn't have the energy to do so. Plasmius picked her up and addressed the other two half-ghosts.

"As much as I'm flattered that neither of you want to leave, I'm going to have to make an exception." Plasmius placed a metal bracelet on his newest captive's wrist. He dropped Box Lunch in Danny's arms and took Lilith out before shutting the door.

"You have school today young lady and I'm not the kind of person who would deprive a future grandchild of a proper education." He said, speaking to Lilith alone. "But I expect to see you, along with your aunt back here during your spring field trip and I expect an answer."

"An answer to what?" Lilith said, trying to wiggle out of Vlad's grip.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "My offer what else, my child?"

"She's never going to join you, Vlad. She's _not_ your child." Danny told him, his temper rising.

"That was _your _decision, Daniel, one you made long before I had your friends. Lilith however has yet to make a decision and I have collateral to make sure she won't turn out to be the little hero you did." He finished and turned again to Lilith. "If you don't want anything to happen to your friend or your mommy, I trust you'll make the right choice." Vlad finished quite seriously.

"No! You let them go!" Lilith demanded, trying to squirm away.

"At least let Box Lunch go. This is between you and me. She's got nothing to do with this." Danny told him.

"Like doom I have anything to do with this." Box Lunch said, rubbing her head and sore body. "I'm not going to sit around and let my best friend get corrupted by a Pariah wannabe."

For some reason this seemed to strike a nerve in Vlad. "Do not compare me to that miserable abomination. I am much more powerful without items of power than he ever was with them. You'd do well to remember that child."

Box Lunch stuck out her tongue immaturely at him and turned around. Danny seemed very amused by this. "I think I like your friend Lily." He concluded.

"Thanks dad…" Lilith said a bit exasperated that her father and best friend were bonding at the wrong time.

Vlad snorted. "It's time for you to be on your way Lilith. Think long about my offer. I'll see you again in April, until then, ta!" He told her as he sent her spiraling with a scream into the Ghost Zone.

_**:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)**_

Lilith was very much disorientated. She wasn't used to this particular portal despite how similar it was to the Fenton Portal. She now found herself floating around the Ghost Zone. She had no idea where she was.

On top of all of this, she didn't know how much longer she would be stuck in her human guise. As far as she knew the Plasmius Maximus was still in effect. She tried to switch to her ghost form, but it failed.

Normally she wouldn't be too worried, but normally she was only in her human form when she was in that world, or at home when she had no real use to have her ghost guise on. Never had she floated around the large expanses of the Ghost Zone this way. It didn't feel too terribly comfortable.

She wrapped her arms around her body. She was alone again. On habit she started to shiver. "No…not again…" She had only been alone once in her life. In the Fenton's laboratory, only four years old, for a longer amount of time than she should have been. She didn't know how long she had been there, but if Skulker hadn't found her, she may not have even survived.

"He promised…He promised I'd never be alone…" She repeated continuously if only to comfort herself.

She remembered long ago when Skulker had decided to leave her alone for the first time. Boy had_ that_ been a mistake on his part. She laughed lightly at the memory in spite of her emotional pain.

"_Alright Whelp; I'm leaving for the day. When I get back I expect the other specimens fed and the trophies polished, got it?"_

_Lilith, now seven years old, yawned. She had just woken up from bed and was eating breakfast at the table. "Why can't I come with?" She questioned. _

"_Because I'm going out hunting, that's why. There is a new ghost in the area that I believe may have unique camouflage abilities. It should prove to be a challenge for me." Skulker said, rather excited to have fresh prey. _

_Lilith yawned again and gave Skulker a blank look. "So…why can't I come with?" She repeated. _

_Skulker's eye twitched. "It's dangerous, that's why. I haven't had a good hunt in a long time because I've been watching after you. I'd rather not have you get in the way. You'll get hurt." Skulker raised an eyebrow at his own words. "Well…err, I mean, you'll get damaged. I can't hunt you eventually if you're injured." He finished decidedly._

"_Is Box Lunch coming over?" She asked hopefully._

"_No, the Pest is with her parents today. You'll be here alone." He said offhand. Even so, it put the wrong effect on Lilith._

"_I wanna come with." She said a bit more loudly. "I don't wanna stay home alone."_

"_You'll be staying here." Skulker stressed. It wasn't often that Lilith contended with his authority, but when she did, he made sure to assert it. "Don't argue with me, you will not win."_

"_No! I _don't_ want to be _alone_!" She almost yelled, turning away and jumping off and out of her chair in defiance. _

_Skulker stood by in mild shock. She had never been this troublesome before. She had always done exactly what he'd told her to do. She did her new chores without complaint and never questioned when told to go to her cage. _

_He strode into the main living area, where Lilith was planted on a couch, getting her shoes on. Before she could get the second one on Skulker picked her up roughly and carried her over to her cage. She emitted a short gasp of surprise at the sudden aggressive action. "What have I told you about disobeying my orders?" _

"_N…not to do it…otherwise I'll be in really big trouble?" She said timidly._

"_Yes, close enough." He said, sighing and putting her back down on her bed. He'd given up trying to explain that if she got too out of hand that he would have to settle for her pelt, but this was only a first offense and he was already too used to her being around. He forced himself to admit he enjoyed waiting on the child. She was his responsibility. Knowing the fact that she relied on him for everything was enough to satisfy him._

"_Now, you'll stay here and clean your cage, its messy enough." He said, looking around at the barely visible floor, it being littered with candy wrappers, dirty clothes and other such things. "It's only for the day. I'll be back, so don't get any ideas about running away." He warned. _

_Lilith nodded in understanding. "Do you promise you'll come back?" She asked with a worried look on her face. _

_Skulker raised an eyebrow. "Of course I'm coming back! What kind of question is that!"_

_Lilith looked down at her feet and then slowly turned to where she had a dart-ridden picture of her parents and their friend. "Mom never came back. Neither did Uncle Tucker…" She said sadly._

_Suddenly Skulker realized what she was so against. She just didn't want to be alone. Her first night here when she had snuck into his room and her complete attachment to him all explained that. In the past three years she had been living here Skulker had barely left and if he had, she'd gone to stay with Technus or Box Lunch was there to play with her. She was just afraid of being alone._

"_Clockwork said I'd never be alone…" Lilith said, mostly to herself, but Skulker caught it too. "He promised…"_

_Skulker finally decided on a course of action. "You're going to have to get used to it, Whelp. I'm coming back at the end of the day; you won't be alone for long."_

"_That's what mom said and she didn't come back." Lilith argued._

"_That was different circumstances." Skulker said back. _

"_No it wasn't."_

"_Yes it was," Although he really didn't want to explain why it was different at the moment. It had the potential to ruin everything. _

_Lilith was silent as she contemplated the situation. "You're really going to come back?" She asked for extra measure._

_Skulker grinned as an idea formulated in his brain. "I'll come back as long as you're here. I can promise you that." He inwardly congratulated himself at the stroke of genius. _

_For the first time that day Lilith had a small smile on her face. "Okay, I won't leave then…but I still wanna come with you!" She said in a playful voice, now grinning ear to ear._

_Skulker immediately put up the ghost shield. Lilith rammed into it comically. "No. We discussed this already. You're staying here!"_

"_But I want to help!"_

"_No!"_

_The argument continued on for some time, before Skulker finally got fed up with Lilith's ability to annoy him whenever she felt like it. He had finally started to ignore her and left. She wouldn't be getting out of her cage._

_It felt good to be on the hunt again. Not just for a few hours at night nearby, but actually following the prey, watching, waiting…_

_There it was. The ghost animal was using its camouflage abilities to blend next to one of the many rock patches of the Ghost Zone. Skulker grinned as it he saw it through his modified binoculars. . _

_He quietly brought up his net gun and carefully aimed it at the creature. The excitement was rising in him yet again. He was just about to release the net when his eyes were suddenly covered up. He couldn't see._

"_Guess who!" Came an all too familiar playful voice. The voice of a girl who shouldn't have been able to be there. A voice loud enough that it spooked the ghost creature into seeing Skulker and running off again, switching camouflage. _

"_Whelp!" Skulker yelled. Indeed when he turned around there was Lilith, giggling madly. "I told you not to come!" He scolded._

"_But…I was getting scared." She admitted, the smile vanishing from her face. "I…I know you promised to come back, but I didn't want to be alone…I couldn't stop being scared." She said in apology. "I'm really sorry."_

"_You do realize that you are about this close to becoming my next pe—" He wasn't able to finish his thought as a new one entered his mind. "Wait a minute! How did you escape your cage!"_

_This made Lilith giggle harder. "I pushed the power button!"_

_Skulker growled as he took her into his arms. "I suppose your cage will need to be upgraded then…so much for the hunt." He sighed and spoke to Lilith. "As soon as you're old enough Ghost-child I will be able to hunt you for entertainment." _

_Lilith curled up against her guardian, very content. "You're funny Skulker." She said with a smile. "I really like you."_

_Skulker faltered. He was not expecting that. He kept her in a cage and –he admitted to himself- that he yelled at her quite often. Yet through all of this she was still in a positive attitude, she enjoyed it. She really wasn't going to try and escape._

_Skulker had a very had time trying to decide whether this was a good thing or a bad thing._

To this day, he still didn't know. Lilith grinned once again at the memory. It was those little moments that made living with Skulker bearable. Because of him she was never alone.

Hello, what was this? Floating around aimlessly while she dwelt in her thoughts, she happened upon another portal that looked similar to both the Fenton's and Plasmius's. Before going in, she felt a tingling sensation surge through her body. Acting on the hunch, she tried to change forms again. Lo and behold, she was able to change.

She heaved a sigh of relief. She felt a little better now that she wasn't completely helpless, but she was still alone without a clue as to where to go. Just like before.

"Well, I guess that means it's about five in the morning." She mumbled to herself doing the math in her head and trying to keep her mind busy from bad memories. "Let's try this portal and see where it leads. Maybe it's someone I can get directions from…" she wondered out loud.

She went through the portal. What awaited her on the other side was what looked like a quickly assembled laboratory. She bristled quickly at that fact, reminded once again of her only real nightmare. It was filled with ghost hunting equipment. Lilith raised an eyebrow at this, but continued to look around, picking up a few of the devices to get a better look at them. They looked oddly familiar.

"Get out of my lab Ghost-kid!" This was a voice Lilith was _not_ familiar with at all. She barely had time to register the man in the orange suit as she was hit by a weapon from another direction.

"Jack! Get her on the Fenton table!" Said a female voice that Lilith identified with a woman in a blue suit.

"Fenton, that's dad's…" Lilith wasn't able to finish her thought as in a flash she lay on the table, stuck there due to restraints on her wrists and ankles.

"Look Maddie, we got one! I _told_ you we weren't lost!"

The woman sighed deeply. "Jack, we've been driving around the world for fifteen years now and somehow we've managed to miss every single major city that could get us back home. Sam sounded really urgent in that last message…"

"Ah, we'll worry about that later Maddie, let's tear apart the ghost now! Molecule by molecule." Jack finished as content as he would be with fudge.

Lilith didn't know if she liked where this was going. "Um, if it wouldn't be too much trouble I'm actually lost myself."

"Of course you're lost, sweetie." Maddie said with unusual care when talking with a ghost. "You just have to take your time finding out how to move on. I'm sure you'll get your unfinished business done someday, but for now, we're going to experiment on you so we can see what makes you tick."

Lilith _knew_ she didn't like that laser that Jack was holding. _"I try to go to school like a good kid and I get captured by crazy scientists, who are probably my grandparents by the sounds of it." _Lilith thought this was rather ironic.

"Can we talk about this?" Lilith asked nervously, struggling with the bonds. "I mean, these experiments aren't painful are they? And…and I'm pretty sure my data won't be consistent with all ghosts…" She tried her hardest to make up an excuse.

"Oh nonsense," Maddie said dismissively. "We never worry about things like that and why wouldn't it be the same for all ghosts? It's not like your part human or something like that. That's just silly."

"Although…I remember Danny tried to ask us about that once…" Jack thought retrospectively.

"Now, this won't hurt too much. Just think about something nice, or whatever you ghosts think about. It's at times like this I miss Jazz, she was always so good at getting inside at what a ghost is thinking about…" Maddie reminisced. "Say 'ah'."

Lilith instead gave off an 'eep' sound. "Please, I'm looking for your portal. I just want to get back home." She shut her eyes, preparing for the pain. But soon she began to feel nostalgia as nothing happened.

"How do you know so much? Answer me Ghost-kid!" Jack blurted, an ecot-energy gun pointed at her. A very big gun.

Maddie raised an eyebrow. "Now that I think about it, that symbol on your uniform is the same as Danny Phantom's. What's your connection to him, and why are you all the way out here? He haunts Amity Park."

"Yeah." Jack said. "We haven't seen him since he showed up at Danny and Sam's wedding!"

"I do live near Amity Park. Like I said, I got really lost in the Ghost Zone and I found your portal." Lilith supplied on the dime. "Danny Phantom's my dad." She said truthfully. _"Dad apparently never told them about his powers. That must have been horrible."_ She sympathized.

"Ghosts can reproduce!" Maddie exclaimed. The poor woman was in a terrible state of shock. "How is that _possible_?"

"I don't know. I'm living proof and I really don't understand myself." Lilith said, hoping they wouldn't catch her slip up use of the word 'living'. She might as well play along. She may not be living proof herself, but Box Lunch was certainly _dead_ proof.

"So, who's the lucky girl then?" Jack winked.

"You do realize you're talking about my mother." Lilith said dryly, a bit freaked out.

"Maybe they reproduce asexually…" Maddie continued to ponder the mystery.

"I definitely have a mother, Mrs. Fenton. Trust me on that."

"Why should we trust you?" Jack hoisted the gun back to a more comfortable position for him and a more deadly position for Lilith.

"Maybe because you're the ones who have me tied down and I haven't done anything to harm you at all?" She tried.

Maddie sighed. "I suppose so, but I want you to promise me a sample of your ectoplasm before we let you go."

Lilith smiled. "I think I can do that as long as it's nothing too painful."

"Aw…but Maddie, I don't want to let the ghost go…" Jack whined.

"Have a cookie, Jack." Maddie offered, giving him the said cookie. Jack ate it in delight. Next she released Lilith from her restraints.

"Thank you." Lilith said, still sitting on the table.

"Not a problem. Normally I wouldn't let you go, but seeing as how we're on the road, we really can't afford to take on any more passengers if you know what I mean. And even I have to admit that your father wasn't too bad of a ghost comparatively. Now for the sample." It wasn't too painful, only the initial cut stung a bit, but she'd had worse before. After Maddie was done with collecting a good sized sample Lilith floated above them ready to go.

"One last question, which was is it to Amity Park?" She asked a bit embarrassed.

"If you start flying west, that might be your best bet." Maddie told her. "We'll see you again….err, what _is_ your name?"

Lilith blushed. "Well, you can call me Lily." She told her grandparents, though they were unaware. "Lily Phantom, but just Lily is fine." She said. After saying so, she flew out as quickly as she could. School started in two and a half hours and her friends probably had questions.

_**:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)**_

"Skulker, I should have known." Danny grumbled. Box Lunch was lying in a relaxed position on the single bed while Danny paced around. The teenage ghost was filling Danny in on everything that Lilith_ hadn't_ told him. Vlad had left them a while ago to go do whatever evil billionaires did in their spare time. Besides annoying their captives, that is.

Exactly what she hadn't told him was how she managed to evade Plasmius for so long and how she survived in the Ghost Zone. "That's just like him." Danny continued. "You ghosts have one track minds, you know. No offence."

"None taken." She responded, examining her fingernails. "Skulker didn't do a half bad job raising her you know, but he'll never admit it the jerk. He obviously had help and I kept her sane, but if I have kids, I'm _not_ going to him for babysitting services."

Danny rested an arm on one of the cell bars, looking out into the laboratory. "That's probably just as well. It kept his obsession with my pelt at bay for a while, as long as he never hurt her. I still don't like the thought that he had her for all these years…"

"No. He's still obsessed with your pelt. Has the whole area above the fireplace reserved just for you." She said as if announcing that a contestant had just won a prize on a game show.

"Great." Danny said sarcastically, resting his body weight against the bars. "Lily said something about playing 'hide and seek' a lot. I can only image what she meant by that." He said in deep worry.

"You don't really wanna know." Box Lunch reclined back again.

"But Skulker'd never hurt her." Box Lunch continued seriously after a moment of silence. "Neither will any of the other ghosts. They're too attached. That's what happens when you live with us for ten years, she became a huge chunk of our lives. Good thing for me, otherwise I would have ended up just like my parents had I not met Lily."

"I know." Danny reminisced to the only time he'd ever met Box Lunch. "You know, once I think back on it Clockwork must have known we'd meet like this. He probably asked you to come after me on purpose. That'd be just like him." Danny said in a resigned tone.

"Was that his name?" Box Lunch asked. "He never told me. When we were smaller, especially right after we met, Lily was always going on about a ghost named Clockwork. Said she met him or something."

"She knows Clockwork?" Danny knew he shouldn't be surprised, but he was.

"Everyone told her she was crazy. Finally she just gave up on it, figured it was a figment of her imagination or something. Are you saying he's the same ghost that brought me to fight you?" She finished.

Danny nodded. "If it weren't for Clockwork, my life would have been a whole lot worse and Lily definitely wouldn't have existed. I used to go to him for advice when I felt I really needed it, but I haven't seen him for a long time." Danny chuckled. "Last time I saw him I asked for his opinion on what stone I should get for Sam's engagement ring."

"Did he give you his advice?"

"He told me to trust Tucker's opinion. That's the first time I ever doubted his advice." He joked.

Box Lunch gave a quick 'ha' as a laugh. "That's like asking Youngblood's opinion on cookies. He loves all of them."

"Really? He and my dad have something in common. That's scary."

"He'll probably hate the fact that he has something in common with an adult. I'll tell him as soon as he comes back." She reassured herself happily as now she had something to annoy the child ghost with.

"Where'd he go?" Danny asked in conversation, sitting down on the floor.

Box Lunch's eyes flashed angrily. "He left yesterday after he found out Lily had been kidnapped. He didn't leave because he didn't want to rescue her, he left because he was _scared _to hang out with _me_ alone."

"Let me guess, he'll pay when you dish out your 'empty calories of doom'." Danny said wryly.

"Oh, please." Box Lunch defended, sitting up slightly. "I'm trying to get away from acting like my parents. You should be grateful. Besides, I was only eight!"

Danny just laughed.

Box Lunch scowled. "Like you never acted like your parents before."

Danny stopped laughing and grimaced. "More than I'd like."

The two were silenced as they heard the door to the lab open and close. Box Lunch smiled wickedly. "Beware, the fruit-loop of doom approaches…"

"Remind me _never_ to trap you in the Fenton thermos."

"It has been duly noted." She agreed, not knowing what in the world he was talking about. It sounded like a nice gesture though. Vlad gave them both an odd look as they burst out laughing for no apparent reason.

"And he accuses me of being crazy." Vlad pondered bitterly.

_**:-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-)**_

Lilith was extremely tired by the time she arrived at Casper High. She'd been flying non-stop since she had left her grandparents somewhere in Europe, promising to come back and visit for more tests.

The good news was that she had arrived just on time. It was 8:30 am. The school bell rang as Lilith entered the large double doors in the front of the school. She lethargically meandered to Mr. Lancer's room and opened the door with a very, very tired look on her face.

"Miss Manson, it's nice of you to join us." Mr. Lancer said out loud. Lilith was too sleepy to notice the astonished looks on the faces of Ted, Stacy and Ami. Cam had gym this period. "The bell rang a good two minutes ago."

"Sorry Mr. Lancer. I didn't get much sleep last night." She responded robotically as she walked to her desk.

Mr. Lancer frowned. "I would recommend you go see a doctor about that. Your father had the same problem when he was your age. It might be something in the genetics in your family."

"_You bet it's in the genetics."_ Lilith thought before propping up her head with her hand, trying very hard to pay attention.

As Mr. Lancer continued again with the lesson for the day, Ted turned around with wide eyes. "What happened to you?" He whispered. "Jazz said you got kidnapped by your family's personal stalker."

"That's one way to put it." Lilith said, yawning. "I'll explain everything at lunch. I've got a lot on my mind _and_ my shoulders, but right now I just need some sleep." Her eyes drooped slightly.

Ted raised an eyebrow but dropped the subject and turned around before Mr. Lancer could yell at them.

**Lunchtime**

"Well, that sucks."

"Thanks Stacy, I couldn't have summed it up better myself." Lilith said her head on the lunch table as she had just finished telling the others about her little adventure. She clonked out on the table and tried to fall asleep…again.

Ami smacked her in the back of the head. "Stop falling asleep Lily. You're starting to become sarcastic. That's my job."

"I can't help it." She mumbled helplessly.

"So what do we do now? We've basically got until the field trip to figure out a plan of action." Ted concluded.

"Let's start with what we're up against." Cam took charge. "We're got a billionaire with ghost powers obsessed with getting Lily and her dad to join him and he has captives." He took out a large piece of construction paper and began to draw on it.

"Cam!" Stacy yelled. "That's our Health Sciences project! You can't use that!"

Ted took a peak at what his friend was drawing. "Why am I_ not_ surprised you're using X's and O's to make a battle plan?"

Ami rolled her eyes. "We know what we're up against. What do we have at our disposal? One: the arsenal in the Fenton's basement."

"Two: Me." Lilith added, still slumped tiredly on the lunch table. She didn't have enough energy to contribute too much or insist that she had to do this herself as to not put her friends in danger. Not only was that cliché, but Lilith was too tired to care. She wouldn't have gotten anywhere with it anyway.

"Do we have a third?" Ami asked.

"Valerie?" Ted suggested.

"No." Lilith responded immediately. "Not unless you want me dead."

"Maybe Jazz will have something helpful. She's fought him before." Stacy said with the first real useful idea of the day.

**The Counselor's Office- after School**

"Aunt Jazz…you can stop hugging me now. I still have to breathe." Lilith choked. This near death experience had woken her up considerably.

"I can't believe you're here! I thought for sure I'd lost you again!" Jazz rambled. "I can't believe he let you go!" She said, pulling away.

"Only so he can soak in the time he has on top. We've got until the field trip in April. If we can't think of anything I may have to take him up on his offer…" Lilith said sadly and a bit desperately.

"Don't you ever think that." Jazz scolded. "We won't let Vlad get what he wants. Put on a brave face, but also don't be afraid to call for help. We're all here for you."

"She's right, you know." Ted interjected.

"Those New York Ghostbusters ain't got anything on us." Ami told them reassuringly. "Trust me." She ended a bit wickedly. If she would have had a gun with her, she would have cocked it at this point.

"All anyone needs is a little motivation and encouragement." Cam said. "It's worked for me, it'll work for you."

"I'll try the best I can to train you in some of the weapons, but I'm afraid I wasn't really the ghost hunter of the family." Jazz admitted. "I definitely need to introduce you to the Fenton Peeler."

Lilith nodded. "Vlad won't even know what hit him and then everybody can be back together again." She was feeling a lot more optimistic now.

"Besides," Stacy said blissfully unaware. "What could go wrong?"

The rest of the group paled. They had _a lot_ of work to do.

**A/N: Not the greatest chapter. I don't really like the last half of it…probably because I'm starting to get annoyed with my own original characters…and that's really sad. I'm actually having to do more plot-orientated things with them now, it makes them too cliché and I don't like it.**

**I dunno, I still really like the part with Jack and Maddie. More of those two to come. That sample of ectoplasm comes in handy later in the epilogue. And Danny's stuck in a cage with Box Lunch. What have I _done_!**

**The flashback started with just Lilith following Skulker out and it turned into the monster you read. I didn't even mean it to be that long. It just kinda happened. Although granted, the past scenes are my favorite parts to write. This fic started out as just a bunch of scenes like that, only not quite that elaborate.**

**The good news: Chapter 13 is done!**

**The bad/good news: It's not the last chapter!**

**Its two scenes…I have to write two more really, super big scenes as chapter 14 and then I can write the epilogue. ...I really want to write the epilogue…**

**A huge thank you to all eight of my reviewers for last chapter! To: Meagaisttheworld, hermie-the-frog, dessyweird51, Rishi-Rishi, katiesparks, DP fan, and Sleep Warrior. **

**You guys totally broke the record for reviews per chapter! I really hang on to what you guys say, so once again, comments and critiques are always good! They motivate me to write better and to edit to make this fic the best that I can. I can't make this better without a good critique, that's just how writing works. **

**Later.**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**My announcement for this chapter is that my forum; Blathering on About Ghosts, now has its Clockwork Fanclub section. Stop by and say 'hi' if you've got a chance. And feel free to add topics as well.**

**Wow…you guys really know how to spoil me with reviews and hits don't you? I'm really genuinely thankful for each and every one of them. But especially that you all continue to enjoy this story. The fact that this is entertaining others is what I get most out of posting this. I wrote it for my own pleasure, but since you guys all like it, it makes me feel really good inside. Keep up the spoiling!**

**This chapter is the longest so far. All for you guys! **

**The flashback in this chapter continues directly from the one in chapter 3.**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

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**Maddie:** Oh, come on Danny, that's the oldest excuse in the book. There's absolutely nothing you are going through that your father and I didn't go through when we were your age!  
**Danny:** _(Arm goes intangible)_ Yeah, well, I'd beg to differ...

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After Lilith had left school and had spent some time in the Fenton's old laboratory with the others and lots of convincing of Jazz that it was okay, she was finally home. She was tired and was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed that night.

She looked around as she opened the door. It seemed empty as she dropped her backpack off onto the couch, but she soon found Skulker in his collection room doing Skulker-ish things.

"I'm home." She said simply, her voice heavy from the long day.

Her guardian stopped what he was doing and turned around. "He let you go." It wasn't really a question, but she could hear the slightest hints of relief in his voice.

"I'm supposed to go back in April with an answer." Lilith didn't have to tell him the question, he knew about all that already. "He took Box Lunch." She said sadly.

"So now what will you do?"

"I don't know." She told him honestly. "Jazz and my friends are trying their best to help me, but I'm really scared. What if whatever we think of doesn't work? What if I have to say 'yes'?" She hadn't shared these thoughts with her friends.

"Then you'll probably never see your friends again." He told her plainly. "I can guarantee that. His plans for you could be any number of things."

Lilith stared at him for a moment. "I don't want to say 'yes', Skulker. I just want my parents back and I don't want to leave home."

Even after ten years, it took Skulker a few seconds to register that his lair _was_ the home that she was speaking of. This day seemed just as surreal as the day when he had first brought her here. As he thought about what to say next, he couldn't help but let his mind drift back to those first days.

"_I'm hungry…"_

_As Skulker looked down at the little girl clutching onto his leg, he knew this was too good to be true. He'd won. He'd actually succeeded in capturing her. After thousands of failed attempts at capturing the child's father, he'd actually done it._

_He almost didn't know what to do. He suddenly came to the horrid realization that she was only a small child. She wasn't a teenager and she couldn't fend for herself. He'd have to change some of his plans for the ghost-child slightly. Hunting her now wouldn't be much of a challenge; he'd have to wait until she grew up some more. It was what happened in the meantime that troubled him._

"_What kind of food do you eat?" He asked her. It was a good a start as any. They'd be together for a very long time after all. _"If everything goes well, forever." _He thought. She'd live as a halfa for about seventy years or so, and then she'd have the rest of her afterlife depending on if she would become a ghost or not. _

"_Uh…I like…macaroni and cheese…" Lilith said hesitantly. She was afraid of his reaction to anything she said. _

"_Very well, come, let's see what I have." She obediently followed after him. Skulker couldn't help but smile. This was too perfect. _

_Too perfect. Right. He still had to report back to Plasmius and tell him the unfortunate news that he didn't have the weapon. He suddenly realized that if he wanted to keep the girl, he couldn't tell him about her, even though it would have earned him brownie points. Phantom's daughter would be a prized commodity and Plasmius would be the first to exploit that._

_But where could he take her while he was gone? Leaving her in a cage would be an option, but as long as she was this cooperative he figured he might as well build on the small amount of trust/fear he had earned somehow. Although, messing with her psyche was tempting…_

_The Box Ghost? No, bad idea. Even though the Lunch Lady would be able to feed her, she'd probably be stuffed too full. They did have a daughter of their own though. It would keep her occupied until he got back. _

_It was also a long flight. Too long for the amount of time he had on his hands to report back. _"Technus…"_ He growled in thought. The master of technology was the closest thing he had to a next door neighbor. He had plenty of flashy buttons and knobs to keep a four-year-old busy for a lifetime. The scary thing was, Technus probably wouldn't mind. Despite his obsession for taking over the world by electronics, he wasn't too bad of a ghost. _

_He also loved kids. Box Lunch would be over there many times a day and he wouldn't mind a minute of it. Who would have thought?_

"_It's so crazy it might actually work…" Skulker said to himself. Lilith looked on in confusion, but refused to say anything more than what she was asked to say. He looked back at her. "Alright, let's get you fed. Then I need to run a few errands." Those happened to include food, clothes and furnishings for her future cage._

_Lilith didn't respond, she kept her head down looking at her feet. Skulker scooped her up and set her down on a chair around the dining table. He didn't use the table much himself. Being a ghost he didn't need to eat, but did so for the pure pleasure of it. _

"_I think you might like this. In any case it's the only human food I have." He said, putting a container of food in front of her. It was pizza, very old pizza. Lilith looked at it warily and gave Skulker a silent look that said 'Do I really have to eat this?'_

"_If you're really hungry, you'll eat it. I'll bring back some decent food for you by tomorrow." Lilith nodded and took a bite. Tears came to her eyes because it was that bad tasting. _

_It…doesn't taste good…" She said slowly, quickly putting the piece back with the others. She stuck out her tongue as it left a really bad aftertaste. _

"_Well, I'll have to get you something. I don't want you to die on me now. I've waited far too long for an opportunity like this."_

_Lilith looked confused and a bit hurt. She wasn't used to being treated so harshly. But she was slowly accepting that this was just the way Skulker was. "I'm still hungry…" She said mostly to herself. _

_He picked her up again and held on to her with both hands. "I'm taking you somewhere you'll be safe while I'm gone. You'll eat something there, unless you'd rather be left here alone with nothing." _

_Lilith's eyes widened. "No!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't wanna be alone…not again…" _

_Skulker realized that she was speaking of when he'd found her. He didn't know how long she had been hiding there, but it must have seemed like an eternity for a small child. "Very well then, hold on." She did exactly as he asked. _

_As Skulker reached out to open the door to Technus' room his eye twitched. If only Technus wasn't so annoying…so talkative…He opened the door with a sigh. He might as well get this over with. _

_Even after they had slowed down, Lilith still clung to him like no tomorrow. She continued to do so as Skulker carried her into what looked like a laboratory. Lilith tightened her grip. "Please don't leave me here alone." She whimpered. He did not respond back._

"_Technus! I know you're in here!" He called out instead. _

"_Eh, what? Skulker! You'd better not be stealing my gadgets again!" Came a nasally voice from beyond a desk. Lilith looked up to see Technus for the first time. He looked as if he had been in the middle of an experiment. Half the desk was blacken from having been blown up a few too many times._

"_That was a one time thing!" Skulker defended. "I've not taken anything else! In any case I need to ask you a favor."_

"_You? Ask me for something? Ha, you're kidding right? Eh, what's that?" He suddenly said, pointing to Lilith who was still perched on Skulker's arms. She quietly turned her head to sneak a peak at Technus for just a moment. _

"_This," Skulker said rather proudly, "Is the new Ghost-child."_

_A look of dawning realization started to appear on Technus' face. He smiled wickedly. "Ah, ha! Isn't this ironic! Hey, she's pretty cute though." He said as Skulker almost forced Lilith into his arms. The girl was frightened to death, but again didn't say anything for fear of punishment. "Awe, the kid's adorable when she's scared." He said in a cooing voice, ruffling her hair around. _

"_Good. Because I need to you look after her for me while I get some supplies. She's going to be staying with me and her human form clothes are fairly grubby. She's barely out of toddler -hood, I need to get some things for her." Skulker said blandly. _

"_Sure! We'll have a great time, won't we kiddo?" Lilith nodded in silent fear. She turned to Skulker with pleading eyes._

"_I'll be back as soon as I can. Try not to scare her too much. She's more than halfway broken in already. And also, you're going to have to feed her." To Lilith he said, "You behave yourself." He then left before she could form a protest._

"_I know what we can do first!" Technus exclaimed, lifting Lilith out in front of him. "All kids like computers! We'll go surfing the internet!"_

_Lilith didn't know internet lingo. She barely recalled that a computer was the thing her mother took with her to work every day before dropping her off at either Tucker or Jazz's place. Although, even if she had known, Technus' definition of 'surfing the web' was a bit different than the normal person's._

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_After eating, literally surfing the net, barely finding their way out and playing video games Lilith was sleeping on Technus' couch, having turned to her human form the moment she had fallen asleep. The day had worn her out with being kidnapped and all. This was the scene that Skulker walked in to _

"_No troubles I take it?" _

"_She was a perfect little angel." Technus told him. "A little on the quiet side," He said with a little bit of apprehension. "But overall a sweet kid. You sure you're not getting in trouble with Phantom for this?"_

"_Trust me; he's not coming to find her any time soon. In fact, I doubt he even knows she even exists. If Plasmius hasn't told him, no one will." Skulker said with satisfaction, picking up the sleeping girl. "She lives here now."_

"_Uh, you know everybody else is going to want to know about this." Technus said nervously. "It's probably the biggest thing to happen here in…well, a long time."_

"_Of course, how else will I gloat about this?"_

"_Oh, good, because I sent out an email and everyone is coming over to your place right now." _

"_WHAT?"_

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_Lilith groaned as she awoke from her sleep. It had been a dreamless sleep, much unlike the past few nights in the laboratory basement had been. It might have been the food Technus had given her, but she was only four years old, she didn't care. She found she was in Skulker's arms again. It was a feeling that she had slowly come to associate with safety in this strange place. It was a poor substitute for her mother, but acceptable. _

_They were no longer at Technus' lair, but back at Skulker's place. Technus was there though along with more voices from beyond the closed door. _

"_Ah, you're finally awake Ghost-child." Skulker said. "When I bring you through that door you're going to be seeing a lot of different ghosts looking at you. A word of advice, don't speak."_

_Lilith nodded. Just waking up she was still a bit groggy and she was completely confused as to what was going on. The door opened as she was brought through and she found herself the center of attention. She was frightened into stillness, subconsciously gripping onto the metal suit all the harder. _

"_Well, you wanted to see her, here she is." Skulker said a bit proudly, but trying not to sound too enthusiastic. This was his time to show off._

"_Oh, this is perfect! Once she's a teenager she'll have more misery than her daddy had." Spectra was the first to speak. "Aren't you a cute little one?" She told Lilith in a voice of false caring. In response the small girl buried her head as much as she could, trying to hide herself from all the strangers._

"_Well…I suppose it's a prison enough." Walker said skeptically as he examined the girl. "Someone's got to pay for the thousand year sentence."_

"_She's not going to prison, Walker. That's not why I took her in." Skulker said. "It may be a victory for all of us, but she's part of my collection, nothing more, nothing less." Walker scowled at this, but let it be for the time being. _

"_Well, is she really part ghost then?" Ember asked. "I wanna see the kid's other form."_

"_It's pretty much what you'd expect." Skulker told her. He nudged Lilith a bit less than gently. "You showed me what your ghost half looks like, now show everyone else." He demanded. _

_Lilith complied immediately. Against what she wanted, Skulker turned her around so the others could see the emblem on the front of her suit. She panicked right away at the sudden feeling of vulnerability and struggled back to the shoulder, where she felt safest. This effort was laughed at by the majority of the crowd._

"_The poor child, she needs her parents." Dora said sadly, remembering her meetings with the two of them._

"_Oh, she'll be fine." Kitty reassured her. "She's too little to remember. Besides, aren't you a little bit thrilled to have her here? Aren't you Johnny?" She yelled as she turned suddenly at the teenage ghost, making sure he was paying attention._

"_Kitty, all I'm thinking about is how sweet it's going to be when we get to see the look on the punk's face when he sees what's happened." Johnny said smugly. Shadow had the same expression on his face. Kitty growled and smacked him with her purse. "Ouch! Kitty!" He whined. _

"_How can you say that! She's just a little kid!"_

_The rest of the gathering Lilith tried to pretend she wasn't there. She pretended to be home with her mother-anywhere other than here. The various ghosts examined her and made passing comments. Mostly comments she didn't even understand about the father she had never met. _

"I met my dad." Lilith said suddenly, interrupting Skulker's reminiscence. It was almost as if they were remembering the same events. "I…I really got to meet him." She choked

"Well, what did you think? As I recall, you've waited a long time for that." He responded. What else could he say?

"He was everything I ever dreamed him to be." She said honestly, tears were worming their way to her eyes. "And more." Skulker didn't respond so she continued to express her feelings. Feelings she only trusted for him to hear. "I always remember everyone talking about him, how he was fighting to protect the town and always foiling plans and plots. I never knew exactly what to think. I mean, even though I'm so happy…I can't help but feel weird. You…you've always been the closest I've had to a parent, Skulker. It just feels weird that my dad is actually alive, it's like my dreams that I have of the past only now it's real."

"I'm not your parent, Whelp. If anything I've taught you gets through to your brain, that is it." He said, resisting the urge to yell. "Caretaker, yes; Guardian, probably, but I am not your parent. You're a part of my collection Ghost-child. That has not changed. I hope you have not forgotten."

"No, I haven't forgotten." Lilith said sadly. "It's just…" She struggled to find the words to say. "It's just that I've never really felt that way. I mean, I guess I was so used to it all: the cage, the sometimes rough treatment. This really is my home. I can't think of it as a prison, no matter what anyone says."

"And that is why you've made me extremely happy, child." Skulker said with a satisfied grin. "It's also why you are not another pelt on my wall. You were always too young, but you became so obedient it would have been a shame to kill you." He finished plainly.

Lilith took this all calmly. It always hurt so badly to hear the unspoken, spoken. She had always known this, but when Skulker told it to her face, it always hurt so badly.

"So, was it worth it then?" She asked. "To keep me to this point and then I screw everything up for you suddenly."

Skulker didn't even have to think. He gave her a long stare of examination. He thought back to the party where he had shown her off to the other ghosts. It had quite possibly been the proudest day of his afterlife. Something had happened to her that day though, while she was on the couch, unsupervised. He didn't know what had happened, but he wasn't complaining about it either.

Lilith, still waiting for her answer, delved deep into her memories. To that same day as she lay on that couch alone while waiting for Skulker to come back and get her.

_At one point Skulker set her down on the couch in the living room. The ghosts were off doing their various things. She had lay there for a while, trying to convince herself that this was all a dream. She was alone again and she started to panic. She wrapped herself around a pillow and tried her best to be brave. _

"_Ah, here you are." Lilith heard a unique voice from above her. For some reason she wasn't afraid of it. It was welcoming, so much different from the other ghost's voices. This one had no malice tone to it at all._

_She looked up at the newcomer with awestruck eyes. An old grandpa looking ghost was floating above her. "Who are you?" She asked as she could not find words to say anything else._

"_My name is Clockwork. I'm the master of time." He told her with a smile as he shifted his form into that of a middle-aged man. "I'm here to make sure you're alright."_

_Lilith raised her eyebrow. "Like a guardian angel? Mommy says I've got one, but I've never seen him."_

_Clockwork continued to grin in his wry way. "Something like that." He admitted. _

"_Are you going to take me home now? I…I don't know if I like this place. Mommy said I should stay away from ghosts." She said, not really realizing that Clockwork too was a ghost._

"_It's going to be alright, Lilith." The girl was stunned. It was the first time in several days that someone had called her by her real name. The ghost floated down beside her, taking on a childish form. "You don't have anything to fear from them." He said, motioning to the crowd in the other room. "There will be times when you will feel sad, but things will get better for you."_

"_Will I see my mommy again?" She asked sadly, hugging the pillow tighter. "I miss her lots…"_

_Clockwork changed to his middle-aged form and gave her another gentle smile. "You will, and your daddy too. Just be patient. You're in good hands for now."_

"_But I'm scared…I don't want to go back in there…" She protested, her eyes giving off a look of fear as they found the door to the crowded room. _

"_Don't fear them, they will not hurt you. I can promise you'll be safe."_

"_Really? You can do that?" She asked._

"_Just wait for time to run its course. You'll see someday." He said as he began to disappear. _

"_Wait! Will I see you again?" Lilith panicked. "Please don't leave me alone…"_

"_You will never be alone." Were his last words before he finally departed. _

_To most these words would have been profound, but to the four-year-old, they didn't mean much. She just wanted Clockwork back again. She lay back down, beginning to go into tears._

"_Beware!"_

_Lilith jumped in surprise. A small figure about her size became visible before her. "Ha! You actually got scared by that!" It was a ghost, Lilith had figured out. A girl about her age -perhaps a bit older. _

_Lilith continued to play dumb, not that she really was thinking strategy at the moment. The ghost girl gave her a critical examination as Lilith once again put up with the scrutiny she had gotten from the crowd of older ghosts. She shook in fear as she hugged the pillow tighter._

"_Oh, please, you can't be that scared!" Lilith continued to shake visibly. The girl grinned. "I'm Box Lunch." She said. "Who're you?"_

"_Li…Lilith…" she stuttered. _

_Box Lunch floated in thought for a moment. "What kind of name is that? You can't go around scaring people with a name like that! We'll at least have to shorten it up to Lily, 'k?" _

_Lilith nodded wordlessly. _

"_Man, you really_ are_ scared. I think we're going to get alone just fine!" Box Lunch said, grabbing hold of Lilith and pulling her into a hug._

"_Ah, I see you two have finally met." Skulker said, observing the scene with delight. "Come Ghost-child, you have more appearances to make. This is your party after all."_

"You're_ the halfa!" Box Lunch stared incredulously. "That's so awesome!"_

"_Where _did_ you come from?" Skulker asked as he picked Lilith up again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung once again._

"_None of your business." Box Lunch said as menacingly as she could get. "So unless you'd like to face my second helping of doom today, you'd better get moving!"_

_Skulker rolled his eyes. "Of all the ghosts to decide to reproduce…" He grumbled._

"_Come on! I'm bored and I'm sure Lily's tired of meeting people today. She can hang out with me for a while."_

"_And let you corrupt her? I don't think so, Pest."_

"_Come on you big metal-head. Pretty please with cherry on top?" She batted her eyes._

_Skulker sighed heavily. "Fine, but don't expect this to be an every day thing." _

The past was a funny thing. _"How ironic that was. Every single day they would do something…otherwise she would have been the perfect captive; complacent and unquestioning." _He thought to himself. But then again, Skulker was pleased with the way she had turned out, she would have made an excellent sidekick had things not taken this sudden turn. But now it was time to face the facts. This era was ending, either way he knew she wouldn't be staying with him any longer.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to let her go without a fight though.

"You do know that even if you do get your parents back, you'll go live with them in the human world. Then I will have to hunt you down and bring you back here." He pointed out a bit sorely.

Lilith to was suddenly shaken out of her memories. She hadn't thought of that. Even if she had, she wouldn't have wanted to admit it. "We…we'll all live here, in the Ghost Zone at least." She sputtered for a compromise. "I could visit a lot."

Skulker narrowed his eyes. "Listen Whelp, I've told you time and time again that I am the Ghost Zone's greatest hunter. The only way you can all live here is if your father's pelt is on my wall and you're in your cage. No compromise. Think about _that_ as you plan your rescue mission." He finished, and then proceeded to walk out the door to the other room.

"But…" Lilith protested, but received no answer. She followed him into the next room. "Maybe if I still lived here and I stay with my parents during school." She tried.

"No." Skulker responded.

"Or maybe…" She was cut off.

"No! You don't understand, Child. You never have! Things would be a lot easier if you hadn't gone to school. None of this would have happened and you would just live out your life here. Plasmius was content until he found out about you. Now everything is a mess."

Lilith was silent for a moment. "I'm glad though." She finally said, eyes closed and gathering up courage. "I would have never known my parents otherwise and I never would have met some more great friends. I need to get them out; besides, he has Box Lunch now too."

"Which also could have been avoided had the Pest listened to me and not gone in the first place. Just leave it be."

"Now that I know, how can I leave it be!" Lilith very nearly yelled. It didn't matter now that she was tired. "I _have_ to do this!"

"Either way it's too late." Skulker sighed. "You have you tell Plasmius 'yes' or 'no'. He won't accept your 'no' for an answer so if you do chose this, you had _better_ have a good plan to get out. He's my boss, I know him, he's more powerful than you can really imagine."

"Then help me." Lilith pleaded softly, fearing the response.

"_What_?"

"I need all the help I can get. I can't do this alone. You have a better chance of coming out on top if you do. If you help us win, then at least you won't have Plasmius in your way." Lilith explained with a defeated expression on her face. She hated doing this to him, but it was the only way.

Skulker smiled proudly. "That's more like it, using my goals to achieve your own. You _are_ learning something from me. Albeit a bit slowly." He admitted at the end.

Lilith sighed and looked up in hope for the answer. "So will you help?"

"Yes, I will." Skulker's smile widened. Lilith didn't like it.

She narrowed her eyes. "And no going after your own agendas under _after_ we've beaten Plasmius and rescued everyone."

Skulker frowned. "Fine. We'll do this your way."

"Thanks." Lilith said, relieved for the time being.

"Now, you've got two minutes before I come after you." Skulker said nonchalantly, looking at his own PDA, which was very much gorilla-free.

"_What_?" Lilith exclaimed incredulously.

"It's Wednesday." Skulker said as if it were obvious. Lilith groaned in realization.

"I've been up since before sunrise this morning and then I flew halfway across the world only to have to barely stay awake through school. I need to sleep. Can't we just wait for tomorrow?" She pleaded.

"The hunt waits for no one." Skulker told her seriously.

"You won't get much excitement out of it." Lilith said drolly. "I'm just going to hide behind the ferns near the front door."

"They are prehistoric specimens, not ferns!" Skulker defended loudly.

"They're house ferns. You wished them off of Desiree and she took them from the nearest plant house." She said in the same manner, arms crossed.

"How did you find that out!" He demanded.

"I'm going to sleep." Lilith said as she walked back to her room. "I'll be in my room."

"It's your cage!"

"Whatever." Lilith said, smiling slightly. "Good night. I'll see you in the morning."

There was a pause. "Yes it was."

"What?"

"Your answer. Yes, it was worth it."

Somehow, that last sentence made them both feel just a little bit better.

**:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)**

The next few months went by quickly. Ami had obtained the blueprints to Vlad's mansion in Wisconsin –nobody questioned _how_ she got them. She and Cam then proceeded to make a battle plan around the five kids, Jazz, Skulker and all the weapons in two arsenals.

Getting the captives out would be the easy part. Defeating Vlad and keeping him busy would be the hard part. Stacy was planning on just talking to him and Cam was going to back her up. Between the two of them, they could talk forever.

Lilith was overseeing the whole plan along with Jazz, who sort of knew what she was doing. In the end, it would come down to if Danny was up to fighting. Jazz figured he'd want to; his physical condition would be the decider. Lilith volunteered to help, but was readily ignored as no one wanted to see her fight, though they all knew she could and well too.

It was December, right before Christmas break when the package arrived for Jazz. When the kids came to visit her on the last day before break it was sitting on her desk. Lilith picked it up to examine it.

"It's the soundtrack CD to…Phantom of the Opera?" She was stumped. "I didn't know you liked musicals Aunt Jazz."

"It came yesterday in the mail. The return address is for Madison, Wisconsin. Vlad sent it just to annoy me. He's playing mind games with us. He loves doing that." The counselor sighed.

Stacy took the CD from Lilith. "I don't get why he would send this though."

Ted in turn took the CD from Stacy and took a good look at it. "It should be obvious. One, it's a really bad pun on his part and two, he's saying that the end doesn't bode well for us."

"How do you know about the end part?" Ami asked. "We're going to win." She said determinately.

Ted sighed. "The ending to Phantom of the Opera isn't the happiest ending in the world. Christine, the main female lead, is just in a really bad situation between her childhood friend and the Phantom. I'll just say that there isn't really a happy ending."

"So basically he's saying that we're is going to lose?" Cam concluded.

"And that I have to make a choice. That much I know." Lilith contributed. She suddenly had that bad feeling in her stomach thinking about her situation again. Her choice was not only between Plasmius and freedom, but also between her parents and the Ghost Zone. Both were seemingly easy decisions, but were anything but to her.

Ted nodded. "That's the message he's sending. I've been involved with the production before. I know the movie version well enough."

"Just in time for Christmas too." Jazz said sadly. "We had _just_ gotten Danny to start enjoying Christmas before he was captured."

As the months continued to go by, Vlad continued to send them little presents. None of which were as bad a pun as the CD though. The kids continued to learn how to better use the weapons in their grasp and Skulker continued to be Skulker.

The hunter ghost had his own version of a training program, which he proceeded to put Lilith through. The girl wasn't really sure if it was helping, but he insisted that she would thank him later. Luckily for them the two didn't have to change much to their existing routine. It only meant more running and using powers for Lilith and more hunting time for Skulker.

As each day passed Lilith became more and more nervous. Had it not been for her friends she realized she may not have had the guts to pull through with this plan. But every time she felt as such her friends were there for her with encouragement.

Lilith also came to the conclusion that this plan _had_ to work. Because if it didn't she would have no choice anymore. It would only be a 'yes'.

In January the students were required to submit their permission slips. In February they made the down payment. In March the final payment was due.

The chaperones were picked. Mr. Lancer would be going along with Jazz, the school's counselor. There would also be some parent volunteers. Cam's dad was going for one. Janet had screamed and yelled at Dash until he consented. He was to 'spend quality time with' his 'son and friends and _enjoy_ it'.

Dash had objected heavily, seeing as one of the said friends was the daughter of the boy he had once bullied enough of in high school. A classmate he now was convinced was dead and a ghost out for payback. This mysterious daughter out of nowhere was one way he was doing this.

Granted, Dash doesn't have the most stable mind at this point in his life, which is another reason why Janet wanted him to go with, to relax.

Other parents were coming along too, not all of them on the official list. Skulker, for one, was going to shadow the bus and once they had all of Vlad's captives free, there would be two more parents, another adult besides them and another kid (albeit a ghost one) to add to the field trip roster.

All too soon the day in late April arrived when the freshman class of Casper High would go on the field trip to the Wisconsin Dells. The trip was paid for by billionaire Vlad Masters and he had opened his mansion to the students and chaperones. That night, while most people would be sleeping, the group would put their plan into action.

**:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)**

"Hey, Mr. F, wake up," said a lazy voice.

The sound of snoring continued.

"Mr. F, you're really loud when you snore." Box Lunch repeated in a very bored and tired voice. Danny was lying on the bed, taking a nap and snoring very loudly.

The child ghost put a pillow over her ears and growled in annoyance. Despite being locked up with her best friend's dad for almost seven months now, she wasn't used to the snoring. He was great to have conversation with, but his sleeping habits made her wonder why Lilith's mom had married him in the first place.

Although to be fair to Danny, his snoring was preferable to Vlad's ranting and chiding. Box Lunch now had an official reason to call the man 'fruit-loop'. She lost her cool easily sometimes before Danny could catch her after Vlad would make a passing comment.

Overall, it was very boring. The same thing day in and day out, eat food, sleep, and talk. Box Lunch wasn't sure how Danny had survived for fifteen years with just himself.

She sighed for about the millionth time that morning. She missed the Ghost Zone, she missed her parents, but most of all she missed Lilith. The two had been separated before, but never for this long of a period.

The normally awake and peppy girl was now often depressed and aggravated, taking many longing looks at the always-open ghost portal right next to them.

That's it, enough snoring.

"BEWARE!" She yelled into his ear.

"AH!" Danny yelped, sitting strait up, wiping a tiny bit of drool away from his mouth. "What's going on? What's Vlad up to now?" He panicked.

"You were snoring really loudly. It was getting annoying." Box Lunch said plainly.

Danny sighed and lay back down. "Sorry, bad habit I picked up from my dad."

"Don't worry about it. Oh, and you missed Plasmius's latest diabolical rant." She informed him.

Danny shrugged and turned over. "Meh, I've heard enough diabolical rants for my whole lifetime."

The ghost girl smiled wryly. "That how you got the idea to play with your food?"

Danny smiled as he remembered the day after Box Lunch had been locked up with him.

"_So, why are we doing this again?" Box Lunch inquired, watching Danny quizzically._

"_It's like this." Danny started, taking some dry cereal out of his bowl. "Take a fruit-loop and put it on the spoon like so." He demonstrated. "This annoys him. It's funny." He said looking up to her as he loaded up his cereal, bent back the spoon, aimed, and fired._

"_Daniel! Will you stop that!" Vlad yelled angrily turning around. "Aren't you finished eating yet?" He seethed. _

"_We wouldn't be having this problem if you hadn't kidnapped me in the first place…" Danny reminded him in a bored tone, tapping his spoon against one of the metal bars._

_Vlad growled. "This wouldn't be a problem if you would just join me." He said back in the same tone, still quite angry._

_Danny shrugged as Vlad turned around. Just as he did something hit him from the back and he quickly turned around. "Daniel, this is your last warning…"_

_But the two occupants of the cage weren't listening. Box Lunch had the spoon in her hand and was in a position to have better aim. _

"_Nice shot for a beginner." Danny said through tears of laughter._

"_I know." She smirked._

"Yeah, that was a good one. He deserves every bit of it." Danny said with conviction. "For everything…" He trailed off.

Box Lunch frowned. "It's almost time for the field trip. Lily's going to be here soon." She said as she slumped down against the bars, resting her head in her knees and sighing. "I'm worried about her."

Danny sat down next to her. He could have been thinking a million different things, such as how ironic it was that he was comforting the Box Ghost's daughter or even the fact that he was getting along with her. But he put his arm around her despite this. They had a common concern.

"She'll be fine." He told her. "She's lived with you guys for a long time and she's got other friends with her. He won't get her. I know she'll say no."

"Which means she has a rescue mission planned and that's what worries me." Box Lunch groaned. "She doubts herself too much. The first time we ever haunted a house she was extremely against it. She was afraid she'd mess up." She elaborated.

"'The first time you haunted a house'?" Danny quoted, a bit confused as he took his arm back.

Box Lunch glared. "We're young ghosts. What do you think we do for fun? It's not like there's anything to do in the Ghost Zone except get chased and get thrown into prison occasionally."

"Right" Danny said, resigned. "So we'd better be ready to help fight and give emotional support, right?"

Box Lunch nodded. "Beware to give lots and lots of both."

Danny sighed. "This isn't what I was planning on doing. Vlad's my responsibility; I've got to deal with him myself."

Box Lunch face-paled her forehead. "And what was your plan? If we hadn't come around, you'd be stuck here for the rest of your life. You need our help." She insisted.

"I err…I suppose…" Danny relented.

"Good, 'cause you're stuck with us whether you like it or not." She said, standing up. "All for one and one for all?" She asked, sticking her hand out.

Danny met it with his own hand. "I'm in, but Vlad's mine. We're going to settle this once and for all. I'm just about sick of him getting his way."

"I keep telling you Daniel, it's like chess. You're just not very good at it." Vlad said as if he was tired of explaining it. The two weren't very surprised at his sudden appearance in the laboratory. He'd done it enough times that they almost expected it.

"We'll see Vlad. But I'm not the one you're playing against this time. I'm a pawn, and as I recall you told me once, pawns can and do topple knights and kings." Danny said, giving off a very good evil smirk as he used Vlad's old words against him.

"And I'm still teaching you." Vlad said, very satisfied. "That's encouraging to me. You can still change your mind at any time you wish. I'll just keep you here until you do."

"That's kind of gross if you think about it." Box Lunch said gripping the bars. "Isn't what you're doing really unsanitary?" Danny watched her carefully in case she did anything stupid.

"That's very cute of you to care, my dear." Vlad told her affectionately, patting her head. She scowled at the action as her hat moved out of place and over her eyes. She straightened it back with a huff. "You know, if your friend's rescue plan fails, you could always work for me. You'll end up doing it anyway if she says 'yes'."

Danny raised an eyebrow. "You're not actually planning something big are you?"

"To take over the Ghost Zone? Oh, maybe." Vlad admitted playfully. Danny's eyes dropped in annoyance.

"You can't do that! Pariah Dark even got overthrown. Everybody feared him and I'm definitely not afraid of you." Box Lunch shot back. The Ghost Zone was her home. She wasn't about to let Plasmius have it.

"You, my dear were born after the Pariah Dark incident. I'm sure Daniel could tell you all about that later." Vlad said. The ghost girl had been wearing on his patience for a long time now. It annoyed him that he had to keep her until he got what he wanted. "It's not as if can't and I already have it indirectly, but we'll see who's laughing in a few days." He smiled evilly at her. Box Lunch wasn't intimidated and continued to glare at him.

"What's the point of taking over the Ghost Zone if you don't have what you really want?" Danny asked, knowing he'd get a rise out of his archenemy.

This did indeed strike a cord in Vlad. "I need to find out where your parents are first. Then kill your father and take your mother as my bride. Then maybe you'll think differently about my offer."

"Vlad." Danny said seriously. "I haven't changed my mind ever in all the years since you first asked me. I haven't even changed it after you take my two best friends captive, what makes you think I'll change it if you marry my mom? I definitely won't join you after you kill my dad. I'll just hate you even more. When are you going to _give up_?"

"You will join me, very soon." Vlad said confidently with a very serious look. "In fact I could force you to join me at any time, but I'd much rather you did it of your own free will. But I'm warning you now, my patience is running thin."

"I won't do it." Danny replied evenly. "I'll wait out the rest of my life in this little cage if I have to, but I won't join you. Not now, not ever."

Box Lunch felt something bad coming if she didn't do anything. "Sorry to interrupt the staring contest, guys, but I'm kind of hungry. How about dinner?" She suggested quickly before the two got at each other's throats.

The two continued to stare for another moment before Vlad broke away. "Very well. I'll bring something down, but you two will have to behave a little more."

"Pft, us behave? That's a good one." Danny crossed his arms.

"Beware." Box Lunch shrugged innocently.

"Indeed." Vlad said, not really caring, before leaving the laboratory.

"Nice save." Danny said, lying back down on the bed.

"I've been in trouble enough to know when it's about to start." She told him. "So, you ready for breaking out after _that_?" She asked.

Danny laughed half-heartedly. "I was ready to go home the day I got here."

Box Lunch lay down on the floor. "Me too." She said. "Me too."

**A/N: Okay, don't yell at me all at once for joining the Phantom of the Opera bandwagon. I think it's hilarious. And since I'm all for bad puns, I had to put it in. Besides, I was desperate for more chapter material. **

**Yeah, Vlad's gonna try his hand at takeover. But like Danny pointed out, it's not his main goal. He's just bored really. It's not like he can't, especially if he's got Danny's help.**

**The 'Mr. F' thing is a tribute to my freshman English teacher, who was called this. He was the only teacher to ever know about my fic writing. A very amazing guy. Even after four years he still asks if Yami-chan and I are still writing. :-)**

**And now you all know how she met Box Lunch and Clockwork. And I've always imagined Technus to have that kind of quirky personality, so I took some artistic liberties. This was a flashback I've been waiting to post for a while. **

**A very many thanks to the reviews from last chapter: Anonymous Reader 13, hermie-the-frog, katiesparks, Meaganisnttheworld, DP fan, Rishi-Rishi, Sanne-chan and Lightning Streak. It's great to see new faces!**

**Thanks to all of you for continuing to review and enjoy this fic. Your support and comments are greatly appreciated as always. Since we're nearing the end, I might as well say this now. For the epilogue I plan to tie up loose ends for this story as well as ideas I have for the future of a lot of the characters. I'd like you guys to ponder over what loose ends you'd like touched upon, just in case I might have missed some. I know you won't really be able to make a decision until the end of the fic, but I'd like you all to start pondering now. The more ideas you guys send, the longer the epilogue will be. **

**See you next chapter!**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Happy Thursday Everyone! Welcome to chapter eleven!  
**

**The bus in this story is a true representation of an actual bus that I rode down to a state Science Olympiad tournament. We rode home in a blizzard and the heat literally only heated one spot in the entire bus. Everything else is described in truth in the fic itself. Even Cam's little comment about the football buses is true. **

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

**Danny:**_(After his ghost sense wakes him up)_ Oh, great. Just what I need: a working vacation. _(Transforms into Danny Phantom)_

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

"We're not really taking that bus are we?" Ted asked precariously. The students going on the field trip to Wisconsin were standing outside Casper High with their bags.

The bus Ted was referring to didn't look that safe. The door was literally held together by duct tape and metal springs. The windows were cracked and the bus just looked like it should have been decommissioned years ago.

"We get better buses than this to go to football games." Cam commented, standing next to Ted and critiquing the buses.

"This was the only part of the trip Vlad didn't fund." Jazz told them, carrying up her suitcases. "I'm sure he did this on purpose." She sighed.

"This is going to be miserable." Stacy whined. "My hair is going to get all dirty."

"A little dirt never hurt anyone, Stacy. Besides, we're going to fight possibly the most powerful person on this planet. How can you be thinking about a little dirt in your hair at a time like this?" Cam asked curiously and a little annoyed at the same time. She suddenly knew how Ami felt most of the time.

Stacy huffed. "For your information, we haven't even left Amity Park yet. I'll worry about Mr. Masters once we've crossed into the Wisconsin border. Until then, I'll worry about my hair. I've merely got my priorities straight. No use worrying now. There's no turning back."

Ami gawked. "You just said something moderately profound. _You_ said something that wasn't completely blondish!"

Stacy blinked. "What?" She asked, blinking her eyes in confusion.

Ami sighed, defeated. "Never mind."

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late!" Lilith said running up to the group with her bags. Unlike most of the students, she had two suitcases. One was full of ghost hunting weapons and devices. Ami also had a suitcase like that. Otherwise the others each had one weapon each that they had chosen. Lilith had brought her's for Jazz and for and emergency if she couldn't change forms. They had a lot of time to prepare.

"_Remember"_ Jazz was always saying. _"Even if we plan for every possible scenario things could still get unpredictable. We all have to be careful."_

"Did you bring the Fenton Fisher?" Cam asked for his weapon. Lilith threw it at him after digging for it. "Yes!" He celebrated after catching it.

"Cam, what are you doing with that thing?" Said Dash coming up to the group with his own bags. "That stuff is bad luck."

"It's precautionary Dash; let the kids have their fun." Jazz told him.

"There's not going to be any ghosts on this trip, are there Jazz? Your parents aren't going to show up out of the middle of nowhere and do weird stuff?" Dash asked nervously, referring back to the gang's sophomore year when they had gone as a class to a historic farm outside town. It had been haunted. The Fenton's showed up. Danny Phantom had shown up. Dash had gotten slimed real badly. It had been the beginnings of his ghost phobia.

"My parents are somewhere in Europe, last time I heard from them. That was in a _very_ brief phone conversation eight years ago." Jazz reassured him.

Dash didn't seem convinced, but let it go as he let his son socialize to go put the bags in the bus's storage compartment.

"Okay students, let's hurry up and go! We're paying the drivers by the hour!" Mr. Lancer yelled to everyone.

The group turned to each other. "Okay guys, this is it. Show time. All in?" Lilith said, putting her hand in the middle of the circle.

One by one everyone put their hand in the pile. "Okay." Lilith said a bit nervous, but swallowing it enough to sound confident. "Let's do this."

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

Five hours into the bus trip the first signs of trouble appeared. Lilith was reading their American Literature textbook and Jazz was sitting next to her was reading some notes from her private psychiatric practice. Stacy was chatting on with some other girls sitting behind her as Ami stressed to listen to her CD player. Ted and Cam were playing some weird handheld game through wireless connection.

Everything seemed peaceful, though Lilith was still trying to calm her nerves. She was getting her mind off the bigger issue at hand by fretting for Charlie in short excerpt of Flowers for Algernon. Before she could really get into the ending a familiar blue mist escaped her mouth.

Jazz looked over immediately. By the look on her face Lilith could tell that her aunt knew what it was. "Go to the bathroom in the back. You can change there, I'll cover for you." She said. Lilith excused herself quietly and quickly walked to the back. The others thought nothing of it.

Once in the bathroom in the back of the bus, Lilith changed her appearance and then phased out of the bus to check on the situation. She fervently hoped it was Skulker.

"Hey, it's the one kid from the school. I told you were chasing the right bus!" Said the first ghost vulture.

"That's only because we stopped to ask for directions. We'd be lost if we'd listened to _you_." Said the second. Lilith sighed. _"Here we go again." _She thought.

"Look I'm going to see your boss. Why are you chasing us?" She asked them.

"Eh?" said the first. "Oh, yeah. We're supposed to make sure there's no funny business going on. We're gonna go check the luggage."

"Way to go you idiot! You told her the plan!"

"Maybe this way we'll get that trip to Fiji?" Suggested the third.

"You bet." Lilith said, determined to finish this soon. First she shot an ecot-blast, but that only succeeded in scattering the birds. One headed for the bus while the other two kept Lilith busy enough.

She manipulated her ecto-energy to form her sword and switched strategies. By attacking one at a time it might be easier. She first went for the one in the luggage bay. She found him phasing in and out of the bags.

"Why can't you three just leave me alone?" Lilith stressed as she attacked. She rammed into the vulture, sending them both into the side of the bus. On top of them Lilith heard yelps and screams from her classmates.

Suddenly the bus came to a halt. Lilith and the vulture were thrown to the other side and hit with all the momentum. She recovered quickly and grabbed the vulture and took him outside.

Many of her classmates had come out of the bus. Her friends had the ghost hunting gear at ready and were trying to hit the other two vultures. Ted was rummaging through his backpack to take out what looked like…a thermos? Lilith thought this was a rather questionable time for soup, but was too busy with trying to figure out what to do with the three ghosts.

"Ted, where did you get that?" Jazz shouted.

The musician turned around to face her. "I found it back in the fifth grade. I don't know what it does though. I've been trying to figure that out for the longest time."

"That's perfect! Point it at the ghosts!" She commanded. "Hurry!"

Ted did as told. He pressed the 'on' button and a brilliant white lightening came out of the device. He almost lost his grip from the energy pushing him backwards.

It did the trick. The two vultures that were flying around together were captured by the stream of light and were sucked into the thermos.

Ted opened his eyes. There was now only the one vulture that Lilith was fighting instead of the three. "What happened?" He asked.

"That is the wonder of the Fenton thermos. It captures and stores ghosts until we can put them back into the Ghost Zone." Jazz explained, and then blushed embarrassed by something. "I was never very good with it. I caught Danny with it several times."

"That _is_ a handy little device." Ami said, joining them.

"Sure is." Jazz said again, rather proud. "That's my parent's one invention that Danny used the most. It's kind of trademark in a way."

"Hey, shouldn't we be helping Lily? She looks like she's getting annoyed." Stacy commented.

They all looked up as Cam tried to aim the Fenton Fisher at the ghost vulture without catching Lilith at the same time. It was at this time that Dash and Mr. Lancer came running out of the bus.

"_Red Badge of Courage_, people!" Mr. Lancer shouted. "What's going on?"

"It's the ghosts! They're after me still!" He took Mr. Lancer by the shoulders and shook him violently. "It's our old class, Mr. Lancer! Fenton and Manson are here for revenge!"

"Get a grip Mr. Baxter, you're an adult!"

"Besides, Danny and Sam aren't dead. I'm sure we'll find them someday." Jazz said a bit annoyed at Dash's antics.

"I hope so. I don't want to be haunted anymore…" Dash complained, but finally releasing Mr. Lancer and settling down a bit.

"But why is the ghost-kid here?" Mr. Lancer asked.

"Because she's a kid, like Danny Phantom was once before her. They probably haunt the school and watch after the students and faculty." Jazz explained as if she had used this excuse before.

"Hey Jazz, I can't get a lock on him!" Cam shouted. "She's too close!"

"Phantom! Get away, we've got a plan!" Ami called. It took Lilith a good minute to realize that she _was_ Phantom. She flew away as fast as she could as Cam caught the vulture finally.

"I got one!" He joked. "I'm bringing him in, Ted, net him!"

Ted didn't need to be told twice as he pushed the 'on' button on the thermos again. The ghost went. His last words were something that sounded like "This isn't Fiji!"

"We did it!" Stacy jumped up and down.

"We didn't do anything, Stacy." Ami said, annoyed that she didn't get a shot in. Her own gun was underneath the bus, too big to even fit.

"Hey, where's the ghost-kid?" Dash asked, looking around.

"Hi guys! I heard all the commotion from the bathroom, but I really had to go. Sorry I missed it." Lilith said, coming out of the bus door.

"Thank goodness you're okay Lily." Jazz said, giving her a show hug, but also one of congratulations. "I was worried about you."

"You missed a mighty good ghost fight, Lily." Ted winked. "I actually did something useful for once." He said, shaking the thermos.

"That's great Ted. I'm really happy for you." Lilith said, pretending she didn't know what had just happened.

Dash scratched his head. "You know, "He said to Mr. Lancer. "There's something oddly familiar about this whole situation."

Mr. Lancer nodded. "You mean the fact that it's a ghost attack, the Fenton kid goes missing and doesn't show up until after the fight? And that it always seems to be the ones with the Phantom kids."

"You don't think there could be a connection, could there?" Dash pondered not sure if he really wanted to know the answer, or was ready for it.

"I'm not sure. But in any case the new ghost-kid is following us. We may get a chance to ask questions. I know I have a few." Mr. Lancer said, wheels in his head turning fast.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

It was late in the evening when they arrived at the Masters Mansion; former home of the Wisconsin Dairy King-remodeled after a freakishly large explosion had damaged the vast majority of the house years back.

Lilith stood outside the mansion with her bags beside her. As her classmates socialized, she was gearing up for one of the most important things she'd ever do in her life. Her parents, their friend and her best friend were in that mansion somewhere and she was going to do everything in her power to get them out.

All thoughts of what would happen afterwards she tried hard to keep as far from her mind as she possibly could.

"Need some company?" She heard Ted ask from behind.

"I'm scared." She said simply. Ted put his arm around her and she took his hand gratefully. "Thanks. I really don't want to have stay here."

"You won't." He told her. "We're here to help you. We'll get you your parents back."

"I just wanted to have a normal life." She reminisced, closing her eyes. "That's why I wanted to come to school so badly. It only made my life worse." She chuckled. "This is about as far from normal as I can get and I've dragged you all into this."

"You don't need to apologize for anything." Ted insisted. "We adopted you into our group by choice and you're staying with us. We're all a bunch of weirdoes who really don't fit in anywhere anyway."

Lilith laughed at his lightheartedness in the face of certain doom, as Box Lunch would have said. The moment was short-lived as Vlad came out to address the students.

"Welcome everyone, it's so good of you all come." He said with fake enthusiasm. He somehow found his way first to Jazz. "Hello Jasmine, it's so nice of you to come with the children and even to bring your niece with you." He said as he spotted Lilith still holding onto Ted's hand. They immediately separated under his calculating gaze.

"My dear Lilith, it's good to see you again. It's been so long, I've missed you." He said in passing, patting her head on his way back to the front.

"You back off, buddy." Ted warned with a glare. "If you try anything we'll be on you faster than you can get your 'employees' on speed-dial."

"Oh, the scary eyes." Vlad mocked. "I've dished out worse boy; you _don't_ know what you're dealing with." He said without worry, his eyes flashing red in warning.

"Let's go inside and get settled. It's been a long day for us all." Jazz said as she ushered the kids towards the mansion. "We'll need our rest, I'm sure." She said her eyes locked in on Vlad. They walked away briskly before Vlad could make a follow-up comment.

Once all the students were inside they received instructions on where they were staying that night. Lilith was staying with Stacy and Ami even though it was only two kids to a room. Cam and Ted were a floor above them.

They stored the luggage in the rooms and then there was nothing to do. Nothing until they put their plan into action that is. Lilith sat on one of the beds in a tense position. Ami was on the floor preparing weapons and Stacy was on the other bed playing with her fingernail polish.

"Lily, you're sulking again." Stacy warned.

Lilith sighed and bowed her head. "No matter how many times you guys try to comfort me, I'm still terrified. I'm going to do this; I'm just scared to."

Ami continued to play with her weapons, this time inspecting the barrel of the gun to make sure it didn't have any defects in it. "We're here to back you up. We'll follow your lead no matter what it is. You're energized, you've got the training, now you just have to go out there and show off your stuff."

"I'm restless." Lilith snapped. "My dad and best friend are directly below us in the lab. I want to see them so badly. I've never been away from Box Lunch for so long. I hope she's okay." She admitted with worry.

"Ghosts are made of tough stuff. I'm sure she's fine." Stacy said.

"Ghosts are made of ectoplasm." Ami interjected exasperatedly. "It's not _that_ tough."

Lilith bit her lip. This could not end well.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

After everyone was asleep-or was supposed to be as it was past 'quiet time' and lights should be out-the group put the plan into action. All they had to do was wait for the signal.

Skulker entered Vlad's laboratory. This was something he had done many times before, but this time he wasn't doing anything for Plasmius. He had followed the rickety old bus down and was thoroughly surprised that it hadn't broken down.

He couldn't help but grin as he saw his former prey and the constant annoyance that was Box Lunch locked up in the same cell. Danny was sleeping soundly on the floor and child ghost was on the bed in a restful position. This would be fun.

He put on his serious face as he approached the cage. He pulled out a metal rod and failed to suppress another grin. He prodded the man who had evaded his blade time after time again. "Wake up Ghost-child…" He said for old time's sake as he pressed the 'on' button with sadistic glee.

Danny awoke fast. He was in pain that much he had figured out. He let out a yelp of pain as he faced his attacker. "Vlad! Will you stop tha…" He didn't finish his sentence as he saw Skulker standing over him, inside the cage.

"Hello Whelp. Long time no see. Before you say anything I haven't come here to kill you. I am here on other business in the manner of rescuing you." He explained quickly, before Danny could form any unfounded conclusions.

"Yeah, help me escape so you can hunt me again. It took you fifteen years to come up with this plan?" Danny accused. At the same time, Box Lunch woke up from the noise.

"What the…oh great, Frog-boy finally decided to take my advice and show up. We're saved." She said sarcastically, waving her hands in the air in mock celebration.

"'Frog-boy'?" Danny laughed. "That's a good one."

"I don't have time for witty banter, Whelp." Skulker said, taking him by the scruff of his shirt. "Your daughter is a few floors above us waiting for me to break you two out."

"She is? It's the night of the field trip! Danny exclaimed, and then paused. "I have a few words I need to exchange with you once this is all done concerning what I've heard about you raising my daughter. I have to admit it was very ingenious of you, even though I _really_ don't like it." He said, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

Skulker very much debated at that point whether to remove the handcuffs or not as they would give Danny access to his powers once again. But knowing things would be better hunting after this whole fiasco was over he did so.

"We will exchange words and most probably unfriendly fire after this is over." Skulker said to settle things. "Until then, I'm here to help you."

"Ah-hem!" Box Lunch said stretching out her arm to alert the men that she still had the bracelet on, which grounded her as well. Skulker growled, and after a pointed look from Danny, reluctantly removed hers as well. "So, what next?" She asked, getting ready for a fight.

"We get Sam and Tucker. If Vlad doesn't have any captives he won't have anything against us except himself." Danny elected. For the first time in a very long time he felt his old powers surging through his body, once again blending in line with his DNA. Calling on his old battle-cry, he changed his own appearance letting instinct take over. "I'm going ghost!"

His HAZMAT suit uniform had not changed at all. He suddenly felt like he was the same little boy bent on protecting his home town from ghosts who threatened to invade. Now he was grown up with more experience, more powers and a will bent on protecting the family that had been taken away from him.

"Let's go." He said flying through the ceiling and out of the lab and taking the leadership position right off the bat. It was good to be flying again.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

As soon as the three girls heard the brief radio transmission from Skulker they left the room. There was no time to waste. The boys met them in front of Vlad's master bedroom. Lilith took a deep breath. "Let's go." She said as she changed into her ghostly appearance. Then she, Ted and Ami phased through the opposite wall.

Cam and Stacy stayed. Stacy gave a knock on the bedroom door. "Mr. Masters! There's a _huge_ problem!" She yelled through the door.

When Vlad opened the door he was very much awake and looked like he was going to stay that way for a long time. He was still dressed in his day clothes. "What do you want?" He asked, rather annoyed. It was as if he expected something to happen tonight. "Shouldn't you two be sleeping?" He asked suspiciously.

"We're sorry Mr. Masters." Cam said. "But there's a huge mess down in the lobby and…" Cam had more of an excuse ready, but Vlad cut him off in panic.

"NO! Tell me child, was any of the Packers merchandise harmed!" Vlad exclaimed as grabbed hold of Cam's shirt.

"Err…" Cam was at a loss for words for all of two seconds as he soon realized that he could talk American football with the best of them. "I don't think so, but we should go back down and check just in case."

"I'll go find a broom to help clean up!" Stacy said as she ran off to pretend to find a broom. They had to keep Vlad busy for as long as possible and it seemed as if Cam had found the perfect subject.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

Meanwhile Lilith, Ted and Ami had arrived in the secondary laboratory. Ami immediately took a look at the controls to the sleeping chambers.

"Its password protected." She finally said. "I'm good with computers, but I'm no hacker. I can't get in." She said in apology.

Lilith sighed depressingly and Ted gave her a look of sympathy. He had the Fenton thermos strapped around his body in case he needed to use it. Ami had her gun securely on her back.

Just then, Lilith's ghost sense went off. Before anyone could say anything Box Lunch came hurling through the wall and straight into her friend.

"Beware!" She yelled right before slamming into Lilith, sending them both to the floor. "I can't believe it! You're really pulling off a rescue mission! I'm so proud of you!"

"Box Lunch…I still have to breathe…" she wheezed out as the child of the Box Ghost and the Lunch Lady almost squeezed the life out of her.

Box Lunch released her hold a bit sheepishly as she saw Ted and then Ami. "Oops, sorry about that."

"You're proud of me for a rescue operation … _I'm_ just happy to finally see you again." Lilith said almost in tears, hugging her back.

Box Lunch smiled as peacefully as anyone had ever seen of her. "Sure. That'll do for now."

"Can we do reunions later? I'm not particularly enjoying this." Skulker added, floating into the room. "The sooner this gets done I can get on with the hunt."

"Black and white coloring wouldn't be aesthetically pleasing in your living room, Skulker. Trust me, I've seen it." Danny mumbled, just coming in and immediately entranced himself with the control panels.

Box Lunch thought deep for a moment before saying, "You know, he's right!" She turned to the hunter ghost. "You need an interior decorator, Skulker! Better yet, let Lily organize everything." She accused.

"My living room is perfectly fine!" Skulker shouted at Box Lunch as a poor comeback.

"Better yet, don't redecorate and stop trying to kill me!" Danny suggested, turning from the controls only for a moment. He couldn't resist witty banter.

"Dad!" Lilith exclaimed as she ran up to him and gave him a hug. It was the first time Lilith had seen her father in his ghost form, but she still recognized him right away. Danny stopped for just a moment to return the favor.

"Thanks, but right now we've got to do the rescuing first. We can do the reunions later." He said seriously. Everyone nodded in agreement. The look on Skulker's face was rather amusing.

"I …I just said that, Whelp!" He protested.

"But how? It needs a password. Unless you know what it is, we're not doing any more rescuing tonight." Ami noted with a frown.

Danny closed his eyes in thought. He leaned against the controls as if debating in his head. He opened them suddenly in horrid realization. "It can't be…but yet…" He quickly typed in the proposed password. It was correct.

"How did you do that?" Ted asked astonished.

Danny smirked and added a little laugh. "Vlad may be an evil genius, but he's still an idiot. He was always telling me that we were a lot alike so I figured, why wouldn't we have the same idea for passwords?"

The kids all exchanged weird glances, none of them really wanting to know.

Suddenly the door opened with a slam. In the doorway stood the fury of a woman scorned…or at least one that had really missed her brother.

"Danny!" Jazz almost screamed.

"_Jazz_?" Danny asked a bit surprised to see her. "You're in on this to-" He didn't get to finish his syllable as his sister wrapped herself around him as his daughter had done.

"As soon as I figured out what had happened, there was no way I was sitting this one out. I may not be a ghost hunter, but you're going to have to deal with me tonight." She scolded, breaking away from him.

Danny smiled warmly. "I know. Maybe you can help me get Sam and Tucker out of these things." He proceeded to type in the password for the release of the second pod. Jazz looked over his shoulder.

"His password is 'Maddie Masters'! That's…"

"Don't say it Jazz. Just don't say it." Danny said as calmly as he could. He activated the release sequence for both.

"How long will this take?" Skulker asked annoyed. "Plasmius could be here any minute if he suspects something."

Lilith, Ami and Ted stole glances and smiled. "I think he's pretty busy right about now." Lilith assured them.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

"There isn't a mess down here." Vlad accused Cam. "Everything is just fine! What is the meaning of this?"

Cam wasn't paying attention, or at least he was pretending to ignore the billionaire. "Hey, is this _really_ autographed by the great Ray Nitschke?" The problem was Cam was genuinely excited about this.

Vlad's glare softened. "Why…yes, yes it is. I got it just after I graduated from college. It was one of the greatest moments in my life."

"Wow…" Cam still had his mission in mind, but he might as well enjoy it. "You gotta tell me about this stuff! My dad's a big football fan, but I've never seen a collection this great before!"

Vlad grinned. It wasn't necessarily an evil grin. "Well, my boy, it all started out when I was about your age growing up just outside of Green Bay…"

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

"He's definitely not coming." Stacy reinforced, coming just then into the room. "Cam has him talking about football. Neither of them are going to get sleep tonight and they're both going to enjoy it."

"I'll say. Get Cam talking about sports or romantic movies and you've created a monster." Ami stated.

Danny and Jazz weren't paying attention anymore. The containment pods were opening finally and soon Sam and Tucker would be waking up.

"Are you sure they'll be okay, dad?" Lilith asked worriedly. "Vlad said that it would take a long time for them to recover even if they did wake up."

"He's fibbing. Vlad has had these things for a long time, even before he got me." Danny explained, nervous and waiting anxiously. He hadn't seen or talked to his friends for fifteen years. It only fueled his anger towards Vlad even further.

"He usually likes to play on half-truths." Jazz said, worry in her voice as well. "I really hope they're okay."

"They'll be fine." Danny said a bit too fast.

"What's the worst he could have done?" Stacy asked with a smile. The others groaned.

"You guys don't know Vlad as well as I do." Danny said with a frown. "He could have done plenty."

"And I'm sure he did. He's the most powerful being around for a reason." Skulker added.

"Shut up Bucket-head." Box Lunch told him through gritted teeth.

The group heard an unfamiliar groan and rushed over to see Tucker starting to show signs of waking up. As they did Danny and Lilith's ghost senses went off simultaneously.

"I was instructed not to let any of you escape." The Fright Knight told them. "I don't plan to fail."

**A/N: Another cliffhanger? Sure, why not?**

**Unfortunately no flashbacks this chapter. I couldn't find a good spot to put one. Merely moving the plot along. Incidentally I wrote this chapter as we were driving through Wisconsin towards Madison. I'm not kidding either.**

**Mountains of thanks to: Meagaisttheworld, Lightning Streak, hermie-the-frog, katiesparks, Anonymous Reader 13 and Sleep Warrior (times two!).**

**Progress on story: **

**The extra past scenes: 1/2 done**

**The last chapter: 1/3 done**

**The epilogue: 1/3 done**

**I know what I need to write, I just need the motivation guys. If things keep on schedule like this the last chapter should be out the last Thursday in November. I'm not going to post Thanksgiving. I'll be home and probably too busy hanging out with family.**

**As always, comments are greatly appreciated! I love discussing plot points!**

**Also, as an indulgence to myself I named a lot of my orginal characters from a single show. Can you guess which one? You might have to go back and look, this includes all the minor characters and even Mr. Lancer's first name. Your only clue is that the exceptions are Ami, Stacy and Ted. I know at least some of you have seen it! In any case, its an excuse to read the fic again up to this point if you're up to it.  
**

**See you next week.**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Yeah, so I found out last week about the episode coming out about the weather ghost. I pretty much freaked out and ran around my dorm room in celebration. Is it really any wonder why?**

**I realize the email system for the site was wonky this past week. If you didn't get a reply, I apologize. Tell me if you didn't and I'll give you like a double reply or something. **

**And…I believe there were a few of you wanting the return of Sam and Tucker…?**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

_**:-) :-) :-) :-)**_

**Tucker:** (To Danny, after he sees Skulker flying above them) Skulker? He's hunting you again?

**Jazz:** Again? As in more than once?

**Danny:** Jazz, take it easy. There's a rhythm to these things. Ghost attacks, we exchange witty banter, I kick ghost butt, then we all go home having learned a valuable lesson about honesty or... some such nonsense.

**Jazz:** (Taking notes on her clipboard) Attack. Banter. Kick butt. Lesson. Got it. So, why isn't he attacking you?

**Danny:** (Sees Skulker fly right past them and into the Axion building) No attack? What? He's ignoring me?

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "Do we really want a repeat of last time we met?" She challenged the Fright Knight, charging up and ecto-blast. Danny looked torn between helping his daughter and making sure his friends were alright.

"Go help her." Jazz told him. "I'll make sure Sam and Tucker are okay." Danny still looked divided about the issue, but knew that he had to fight. That was his job.

Jazz turned to Skulker. "You and I need to have words." She glared at him. "In the meantime, monitor the controls. I'll see if I can help the process along a bit." She said, rushing over to the containment pods.

Skulker growled. He was helping his prey and they were yelling orders at him. There was something inherently _wrong_ with that, but if he was going to get anything out of this it would come later. He _had_ promised Lilith he would help. But after freeing the original whelp and the other annoyance he was beginning to regret that promise.

Upon seeing that both of the half-ghosts were going to fight, the Fright Knight became a bit worried. The girl he could probably handle, but her father was a completely different story.

"Okay, how are we going to do this; the easy way, or the hard way?" Danny asked confidently, preparing his own attack.

"I am here to do my job. You will not escape." The Fright Knight said with as much bravado as he could muster. He knew what he was in for. But if he backed out now, the results from Plasmius would be much worse.

Danny smirked. It wasn't a necessarily nice smirk. "Good. I have too much aggression built up anyway. I think you're the perfect one to take it all out on before Vlad makes me angrier." He didn't wait for a reply back.

The battle was brutal, if you could even call it a battle. It was so one-sided you could pretty much call it a beating. Lilith didn't even need to get involved. She and the other kids often had to close their eyes lest they have bad mental images in their head. Skulker looked like he was enjoying it over in the corner, mostly thankful that it wasn't him and the gorilla this time.

"Ah, I _like_ this whole hitting thing…" He grinned with maniacal glee.

"As long as it's not my dad he's hitting." Box Lunch said dryly as she crossed her arms. "I've heard stories..."

"Keep monitoring the controls, _Ghost X_! If they go even a little bit critical Sam and Tucker are done for!"

"Stop calling me that!"

Soon Danny had finally tired of beating up on the Fright Knight. The former general of Pariah Dark's army wasn't looking very good, for a ghost at least.

"Fenton thermos," Danny demanded his hand outstretched. Ted obediently gave him the device with an awestruck look on his face.

Danny mindlessly popped the cap open and sucked the Fright Knight into the thermos. "He won't be bothering us again." He said landing on the floor again with a satisfied smirk.

He rushed immediately over to his closest companions, giving the thermos back to Ted who fumbled momentarily with it. The kids shrugged and stayed mostly silent.

"That was sooooo cool!" Stacy squealed. Or maybe not so quiet.

"I didn't get to shoot anything! Why haven't I gotten to shoot anything yet?!" Ami complained.

Ted shook the thermos on a whim. "I wonder if they can feel that….?"

Lilith ran over to her dad as her friends talked, complained and hypothesized. "Are they going to be okay?" She asked.

As if to respond to her question there was a sudden, jerky movement from the direction of Tucker. Indeed the man had come to terms with the fact that he was in the real world and seemed to be doing fine…

"AH! Where am I?! What's going on?! Who are _you_?!" Tucker screamed as he sat upright and pointed at the first person he saw.

Box Lunch had a bored look on her face. "I could tell you, but you wouldn't like it."

"Tucker! You're okay!" Danny exclaimed happily as he ran over to his best friend, giving him a giant hug of joy.

"I guess…but man do I have a massive headache…wait, DANNY?!"

"I suppose I owe you an explanation. But we've got to get out of here first and wake up Sam." Danny said sheepishly.

"Dude, you were missing for five years. You bet I get an explanation." Tucker said in his 'I'm right' tone and at the same time, crossing his arms in satisfaction.

"Actually Uncle Tucker…it's been fifteen years now." Lilith told him in a mirror of Danny's last tone. It was amazing at how much she recognized him, even though she had last seen him when she had been four.

Tucker gawked. It was amazing he had recognized _her_. "_Lilith_?! You…you…you…"

"I grew?" She suggested helpfully.

"A lot of stuff has happened, Tucker…" Jazz tried to explain.

"That mean it's been…it's been_ ten_ years! I've been asleep for ten _years_!" He stopped his tangent as he came to a sudden realization. "I blame Vlad, right?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah"

"That's all well and good guys, but can we just get to the point here?" Sam asked. She was sitting up looking rather annoyed. She was rubbing her head as it seemed she also had a headache after waking up.

"Sam!" Danny said joyously and ran up to her. He didn't see Tucker give him a sendoff and then roll his eyes.

"Oh, get a room…" He mumbled.

"Mom!" Lilith also went to her side as they helped her up.

Sam stared at her daughter for a while then back at Danny. "Well, I see you two have been busy." She said sarcastically. It was her way of coming to grips with what had happened.

"Yeah. Now we just have to get out of here. Then we can have things the way they were supposed to be." Danny said, giving Sam a tight hug.

"I missed you mom…" Lilith said in turn, her moist eyes threatening to open up any time soon. She had so much she wanted to say and talk about, but Lilith stopped herself short of rambling on. This was neither the time nor the place to do such things.

After that Sam got a good look at her daughter. "Look at you; you're so grown up now." She said proudly, giving her a short, but meaningful hug as well. "But three questions," She said seriously. "What do you think of eating meat?"

Lilith thought about the creature from cage 587. It hadn't been the first or the last. "I don't eat meat…" She said a bit confused at the question.

"Good." Sam said contently. Danny looked on in confusion and amusement. "How do you feel about zoos?"

"Now wait just a second!" Skulker butted in. Sam may not have meant to do that, considering she had no idea where Lilith had been for the past ten years, but Skulker knew a jab at him when he heard one; even an accidental one. Box Lunch grabbed him off to the side before he could protest.

"Get away from the family reunion Frog-boy. It's partly your fault anyway." She scolded him.

"I _swear_ I will have your pelt Pest…" Skulker sneered.

"You keep on thinking that buddy…" She told him equally, floating up to his eye level.

Sam gave Skulker an odd look, but didn't get a chance to ask why and what he was doing here. "Not good." Lilith responded quietly and carefully, not looking at Skulker for good reason.

"Last question," Sam said. She paused slightly for dramatic effect. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No!" Lilith instantly responded, very much shocked at the question.

"That's what I thought. All is well Danny. She's normal." Sam said suspiciously, eyeing over to her group of friends then reassuring her friend and husband.

"I'm glad you have a weird definition of the word 'normal'." He responded lightly and with a slight laugh.

"Hanging out with you, it was bound to change." Sam sad in playful retort.

"You should talk." Danny grinned as he responded back in the same manner. It was pretty much just like old times.

The room had calmed down a bit. Sam and Tucker were brought up to date on the events and Jazz exchanged words with Skulker. The other kids stayed out of the way.

"You know." Box Lunch started. "It's moments like these that make me realize how lucky I've been. It makes it all worth it."

Ted smiled. "I think I know what you mean."

"So is it all over then? That seemed a little too easy…" Stacy asked.

"Stacy, no don't…" Ami cried, but could not stop her innocent question on time.

"_What_…is the _meaning_ of this?" A very, very angry Vlad Masters stood in the open doorway. Cam squeezed in past him to the group of kids.

"Sorry." He said catching his breath. "I tried to stop him, but he remembered me from the basement lab. He caught on _way_ quicker than I thought he would."

"Vlad" Danny said in a low voice acknowledging his presence.

Vlad seemed more amused than anything. "Ah, you've broken free at last." He said proudly. He scanned the room. "And Skulker, you're the _last_ ghost I expected to be here unless…ah I see now." He said with an amused smirk. "You were the one hiding Lilith from me, weren't you? It all makes _sense_ now." He said as he wandered the room freely, examining the occupants. Skulker gave away nothing, as all the adults did the same.

"And of course we have the loyal friends, the newer ones…" He said, stopping by the kids with very frightened looks on their faces, Box Lunch with a glare. "And then the original…isn't this quaint." He said noticing Sam and Tucker awake. "I suppose then that this is the final showdown, eh Daniel?"

"Whatever happens tonight ends it all Vlad. You spoiled my childhood. You've taken away the best years of my life. I'm just thankful my daughter had the guts I didn't so that I can at least live my life_ my_ way." Danny said with all seriousness. Lilith gained a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Very well then." Vlad consented. He transformed in front of them all into his own ghost form. "It would be only fair if I asked you one more time Daniel. Will you join me?"

Danny stared as he walked up to face Vlad Plasmius. His facial expression was blank, and then he smirked. "The answer is no. Just like always. Sorry, Vlad. I only eat Fruit-loops, I don't work for them."

Vlad smirked back equally. "There _is_ that old saying 'you are what you eat'."

Danny cracked his knuckles. "I guess we're _both_ crazy then. Suits me fine."

"Uh…" Lilith started. "Is this supposed to happen?" She whispered to her mother.

"It's called witty banter." Jazz supplied for her before Sam could say anything. "It's good stuff." Sam sighed heavily. This was the last thing they needed to be talking about.

"Can we focus on helping Danny?" She told her sister-in-law.

Jazz frowned. "But…witty banter is part of the sequence, it's _always_ there…"

"Don't listen to your aunt, Lilith. She's crazy." Sam said in a bored tone.

Lilith nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to do.

"I trust you remember this little device." Vlad said to Danny holding up the Plasmius Maximus. "I realize it would be rather unsportsmanlike to use this however…" He said, turning it on without looking at it. "A victory is a victory."

Danny smirked. "That's what I love about you Vlad. Having an archenemy with the same weaknesses is very useful. That stupid thing could be used both ways, remember?"

"Unfortunately…" Vlad admitted with a frown as he did remember. "That mistake won't be happening again, but I'll give you a sporting chance anyway…Catch, Daniel." He said throwing the device at him.

Danny was caught off guard as he tried to catch it. Vlad had used this moment of distraction to launch his first attack and the battle began. The Plasmius Maximus lay on the floor, still on. Danny tried to shake off the older man from the grip around his neck. It wasn't very pleasant.

To get away he sent a short, but relatively harmless ecto-blast at Vlad. This annoyed the eldest half-ghost, but didn't faze him at all.

"You're going to have to try harder than that Daniel. I thought I taught you better?" Vlad told him with a smile as they continued to fire at one another.

"It must have gone out the other side of my brain. I was C average, remember?" Danny said back, not really caring now that he was far out of high school. "Although, as I'm sure Your Stalkerness knows, I eventually brought my average up to a B." He finished with a mock bow.

Vlad frowned. "Yet you still remember everything your idiot father taught you. Some help _that_ was to you. You can _still_ join me you know."

Danny stopped in mid-air. "Man. You are _obsessed_. Will you just give it up already?" The two resumed the fight, and for the first time, clashing equally in air.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Lilith asked. She was getting a bit antsy not doing anything.

Sam shook her head. "As long as I can remember Danny has tried to face Vlad on his own. I don't think we want to interrupt him, but I know what you mean. Trust me, Tucker and I have tried."

"And as long as the other ghosts are in the thermos, we have nothing to worry about." Tucker said.

As irony would have it, at almost precisely that moment Danny and Vlad slammed into the wall next to the majority of the kids. Stacy was caught off guard, who ran into Ted who in turn dropped the thermos.

The release button was activated and the ghosts that had been trapped inside, escaped.

"That was _not_ Fiji!" Exclaimed the first of the three vultures.

"You're telling me. I've had better from those cramped masseuse machines at the mall." Said the second vulture.

"Ah crap." Ted gaped.

"Well, that's not good." Sam said. Again with sarcasm, as if there were no other way to deal with the situation.

"Yeah, it's totally like the time _you_ dropped the thermos, Sam." Tucker continued to reminisce without a clue.

Sam raged. Jazz put a hand on her shoulder, but didn't say anything as they had to soon duck out of the way to avoid Danny and Vlad hurdling past them and into another wall.

The Fright Knight was also coming to terms with his newfound freedom. No sooner had he decided that now would be a good time to leave before he got mixed up some more trouble, Vlad noticed.

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Get them!" He said after blasting Danny into the wall. Danny bounced right back at him.

The last vulture finally came out of the thermos. "They told us we'd be able to retire at 65 years; here we are, still working at 2, 034 years old. We aught'a sue!" The other two seemed to agree with him.

"How about after we make trouble?" Said the second. "We'll get paid, and _then_ we can retire somewhere in Fiji."

"Yeah okay, lets go." Agreed the first, as they then began to swoop down on the gaping audience.

"What do we do?! What do we do!?" Ted panicked as he fumbled around with the thermos. To his surprise it started to rattle again.

"I thought it was empty!" Cam said, leaning over his friend's shoulder.

"Maybe it's just broken?" Stacy supplied.

"No, it's not broken." Said Sam quickly, pulling the kids away as the vultures nearly missed. "It's just rusty. There's another ghost in there!"

"How does that work? We only caught those four!" Ami complained.

"Less talking, more running!" Lilith said flying into her friends before the Fright Knight could take a swing at their necks.

"Hallway!" Tucker called, opening the door and letting the kids out. "Aren't you coming, Sam?"

"I'm staying." Was all she said.

"Oh, no you're not." Tucker said, pulling her away through the door. "Danny doesn't need potential hostages in the room. Vlad's not above that and you know it…" He said in a warning tune.

"He needs someone else in there." Lilith expressed desperately.

"I can help him!" Mother and daughter said at the same time.

Tucker stared. "Okay. That goes on the 'yikes' list…" He concluded. "I'd love to be in there too, but the best way we can help Danny is to stay out his way."

"When did you get so intelligent Tucker? You're actually thinking things through. What did Vlad _do _to you? It may have actually been a_ good_ change." Sam said a bit impressed.

"Ha ha very funny Sam." Tucker said blandly.

"All we need to do now is foster this new found sense of competence. I can help you with that." Jazz offered.

Tucker raised an eyebrow, but didn't get a chance to comment.

"It won't matter, I've locked the door. The two will continue their fated battle alone." The Fright Knight said, phasing through the wall.

"Guys! The rattling is getting worse!" Ted called out from a distance, barely holding on to the crazy thermos.

"I though only toasters from Denmark did that…" Ami said, finding amusement in peril.

"This isn't the time!" Cam panicked as the Fright Knight smiled wickedly. "Crazy ghost with a really sharp sword!"

"Stop freaking out! Humans…" Box Lunch mumbled as she titled the thermos away from herself with her pointer finger as a precausion.

As the group argued Lilith quietly slipped out and phased through the wall and back into the room where Danny and Vlad were still battling it out. No one noticed her missing presence as they were not only busy with the Fright Knight, but also a crazy and not working thermos and three ghost vultures adorned with fezzes.

"Everyone split up!" Sam yelled, taking charge. Tucker, Sam and Jazz bolted down the hallway, the Fright Knight following them closely.

"I'm going after them." Ami said. "They'll need some equipment if they're going to have any hope of winning." She said as she took off after them.

"Ami, wait! I'm coming with you!" Stacy yelled after her. "I've got the lipstick!"

This left Cam, Ted and Box Lunch with a seemingly malfunctioning thermos and three ghost vultures that could potentially cause a lot of hurt.

"What do you think we aught to do with these three?" The first one asked the other two.

"Whatever it is, bring it on." Box Lunch said, rolling up her sleeves. "I got this one, boys. Get the thermos under control and don't aim it at me unless you want me to rain some doom upon you later!" She warned the two of them.

"Ah, it's one of those younger kids. No respect for their elders these days…" The third one groaned.

"Then we'd better teach her a lesson." The second one sighed. "I'm too old for this." He complained.

"It's gonna blow!" Ted yelped finally not able to hold it any longer. He and Cam took a large step back from it.

Box Lunch ignored the boys and smirked. "Well, it's about time I get some real action." She formed an ecto-blast in her hand, box-shaped of course. "Beware." She said evilly as she wound her hand back.

It was at that moment the last ghost popped out of the thermos and ended up ramming into the vultures, sending them through the wall. "I AM THE BOX GHOST! Keeper of all sacred things cardboard and square! You do not know who you are messing with, for I cannot be kept within the…"

"_DAD_!?" Box Lunch shrieked, thoroughly embarrassed enough to stop her attack. "What are you _doing_ here? More importantly, what were you doing in the thermos?!"

"Wait a second." Cam said, puzzled. "How can a ghost…?"

"Finish that sentence and I'll stuff you so full of cookies you'll never be able to eat them again." Box Lunch glared in warning. "Some things are just better left unanswered."

"But…"

"I _said_ some things are better left _un_answered." She stressed.

Cam was finally silenced, but Ted also shared his unfinished question. Neither was satisfied.

"Box Lunch? What are you doing here?" The Box Ghost asked his daughter the same question as he floated up to her.

"Dad, I've been _missing_ for the past seven _months_ and I'm here. Any _guesses_ on where I was?" She said, annoyed.

The Box Ghost blinked. It was all the answer she needed. "I'm surrounded by idiots!" She screamed in frustration. She didn't notice the vultures were back, just peeking through the wall.

"I try to do one great thing in my life!" She started, punching the first vulture without even realizing it. "I finally get the chance to show the world I'm not some carbon copy, that I'm an individual!" She continued, shooting an ecot-blast at the next vulture in rage. "And all that happens to me…" She kicked the third. "…is that I get kicked around like some nobody! I'm sick of being just like you and mom!" She told the Box Ghost as she turned around to take a swing at all three vultures at once.

When she was done ranting, the vultures were lying on the ground. Ted calmly took the thermos and put them back inside of it.

"Girl…for a ghost, you have real issues." Cam told her. "You ever think about talking to Jazz about it?"

Box Lunch seethed as her eyes flashed crimson. "I'm a ghost. I'm _supposed_ to have issues!" She yelled.

"Three down. One to go." Ted interrupted just in time. "Let's catch up with the others." He said, running down the hallway.

"Right behind you buddy!" Cam called after him, mostly to get away from Box Lunch as fast as he could.

"Ha! You need not fear, daughter of mine and strange human children. My cardboard boxes of vengeance shall rain down do-…" The Box Ghost was not able to finish his sentence.

"Good grief dad, stop talking." Box Lunch said shortly. "We've heard it a million times! Even Lily is sick of it, but she never says anything because she's always so poli-" She stopped talking in mid-sentence. "Lily…where is she?" The young ghost panicked.

Back in the research room the battle raged on. Neither looked like they were going to give up soon. Lilith finally decided she couldn't stand on the sidelines forever.

"Dad, I'm coming!" She gave waning before coming in. No sooner had she floated off of the floor that she was in the middle of the fight.

Vlad has seized his chance. "You should have listened to your father's friend, my dear." He told Lilith as he held on to her tightly. She struggled hopelessly to get away. "Thank you for the help."

**A/N: Oh, I'm sorry, is that a cliffhanger? **

**How the Box Ghost got inside the Fenton thermos…there are some thing that are just better left unexplained. He's the Box Ghost. That's really all the explanation needed. **

**Shoot! I only have one more chapter done! I've got to stop typing the epilogue! I'm going into my panic stage. Give me inspiration for past scenes! I need to type those next!**

**A large Michigan lake-effect snow (and that's a lot of snow) thanks to: Meagaisnttheworld, Rishi-Rishi, katiesparks, ectoenergy, DP fan and hermie-the-frog. You guys are awesome! **

**Enjoy your day and thanks for stopping by!**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**By the end of this you'll probably hate me… You'll have to tell me which cliffhanger was worse. **

**Disclaimer: See chapter one. **

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

**Tucker:**_(To Danny)_ I aughta bust you for child endangerment! _(To flour sack)_ There, there. Daddy's here. Daddy loves you. Yes, he does.  
**Sam:** Uh, Tucker, point of information: it's a flour sack that you almost got killed over! _(Looks lovingly at flour sack and wipes off bruise on its face)_

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

"Come back here! Stop running!" The Fright Knight had just about had it with the chasing of humans. The older ones in front of him knew their way around the mansion a little too well for his liking and the younger ones behind him were shooting things at him.

So in that moment he decided. He hated humans.

"You're going down Ghost!" Ami yelled from behind.

"No, wait no." The Fright Knight said, stopping abruptly and turning around. This caused Ami and Stacy to stop as well. Ami with a giant gun on her shoulder and Stacy aiming the lipstick gun. "I don't think you two understand." He said in a calmly flustered voice. "I'm supposed to be chasing _you_. Shouldn't you be, I don't know, running in the other direction or something?" He asked in a confused tone.

Ami and Stacy shared a look. The trigger-happy girl cocked her gun. "Not exactly my idea of a good time." She responded. "I'd rather be doing the chasing."

"But…you're the human and…"

"And you thought that maybe because I'm a girl and a kid that I can't do anything?" Ami interrupted hotly, yelling back in defense as she powered up her gun to 'kill' rather than 'stun'. "Would you like to test your theory? I'd _love_ to prove your thesis wrong…" She said in a low, calm voice.

The Fright Knight gulped and then he remembered who he was. He was one of the most powerful ghosts in the Ghost Zone. Pariah Dark's number one general. He was the spirit of Halloween. Here he was losing an argument with a puny human child.

"You don't know what you're dealing with child. I've been commanding armies of ghosts for centuries before you were born. You don't stand a chance against me." He told her, summoning up darkness around him and amplifying his voice further to add to the dramatic effect. He sent a short ecto-blast in warning that destroyed Ami's large gun.

Ami was stunned and disappointed at the same time. "You aren't so brave now, are you human child?" The Fright Knight spoke again, this time with true confidence.

He shouldn't have counted Stacy out of the equation.

As he was sent spiraling into the wall, too quickly to go intangible, he saw the blonde with her ecto-weapon, disguised cleverly as a container of lipstick. It was still smoking. "I hit him!" She exclaimed happily, jumping up and down in celebration.

This only made the Fright Knight angrier. He growled in warning. The girls seemed to get the hint this time and took off in the direction they had been running in the first place, only this time they were the ones being chased.

"This isn't very fun!" Stacy whined as she ran.

"It's not supposed to be!" Ami yelled back in frustration as they barely dodged on the Fright Knight's attacks.

Meanwhile the adults had reached the main entryway. They stopped to catch their breaths as they noticed that they weren't being chased anymore.

"Did we lose him?" Tucker asked with heavy breath. "Man, we are so out of shape for this sort of thing. We used to be able to run all over town, ride seven people on a bicycle up a hill…"

"Speak for yourself." Sam responded, but she was just as tired. "I don't know why he isn't here yet though."

"I hope the kids are alright. Maybe we should go back to make sure?" Jazz suggested.

Before any of them could come to any consensus about that issue they were all surprised to hear the doorbell ring. They looked around at each other in confusion.

"Who rings the doorbell of a mansion in the middle of nowhere owned by a solitary billionaire at one in the morning?" Tucker voiced the unsaid question.

Jazz decided to answer that question by opening the door. "There's only one way to find out…" She said as she pulled hard on the doorknob.

"It's about time someone opened the door!" Complained a dark haired woman. She wore a sharp, yet slightly frazzled suit. Her hair was long and nearly perfect had it not been pouring outside. "The rain was totally ruining my makeup! How can I advertise my new hair and skin care products if my own persona isn't perfectly flawless?!"

The three inside the mansion stood with jaws dropped. After all these years they could tell immediately who it was. "_Paulina_?!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

The now adult Paulina gave the three a good look and a blink before she spoke again. "Sam Manson? Tucker Foley? And Jazz Fenton too? Don't tell me Danny is still alive and running around here somewhere too? I thought he was missing or something." Pause. "What are you all here for anyway?"

"Oh dear, Paulina is asking intelligent questions? The world is ending!" Sam said sarcastically.

"You just couldn't help it, could you?" Tucker said dryly about Sam's comment.

Paulina raised an eyebrow when she spotted something of interest on Sam's finger. "You're married? You and Danny actually and finally did it? I always _knew_ you two would get together!" She exclaimed in triumph.

Sam growled. Now it was Jazz's turn to raise an eyebrow. "How did you know it was Danny?"

Paulina rolled her eyes. "Everyone knew it. It was painfully obvious, especially senior year when Danny started to avoid me. I knew from then on something was wrong. Besides, I'm a reporter now, I see everything. Now, are you going to let me and my camera crew in, the rain is ruining the equipment."

Jazz opened the other of the double door to let the crew in as two makeup artists fixed Paulina's messy hair and suit. In a matter of seconds she was 'perfectly flawless' once again. "You're a reporter now?" She asked in conversation. Silently she wanted to get out of this and check on the kids. This was not the time to play catch up. They had to get her and the camera crew out of here. For good reasons, television crews had been a frequent part of Danny's nightmares as a teenager.

"For channel six Milwaukee." She responded. "We were on our way back from a live broadcast when the tire blew and then it started to rain, ruining my image! This place was just down the road so I figured I could woo the owner into giving us a place to stay for the night."

The three who knew the whole situation all had slightly gagged looks at the thought of Paulina trying to; well…it was too unthinkable. Besides, there were much greater thing to worry about at the moment.

"There should be some extra rooms around here somewhere. We were taking the kids on a field trip to the Wisconsin Dells and Vlad offered a place to stay." Jazz explained quickly, leaving out the many, many details that Paulina did _not_ need to know about.

"This…this is Vlad Masters mansion?!" Paulina exclaimed, and then turned to one of the men on the camera crew. "You, why didn't you tell me that this was the Masters Estate?"

The man shrugged. "You saw it out there, Paulina. You can hardly see two feet in front of you." Paulina pouted and the man resumed checking the equipment.

Tucker gained a closer look at the red-haired man. "Mikey?! Is that you?"

The man walked up to Tucker. "Once a geek, always a geek." Mikey said, giving Tucker a hand shake of the secret variety. Although he still had a little acne, Mikey no longer had glasses and looked drastically different then everyone remembered him from high school.

"Wow. I can't believe I still remember that." Tucker said amazed at himself that he still knew all tiny weird stuff, which the handshake fell into the category of. "That's sad." He said in a rare moment of self-realization.

"Excuse me." Said a new voice from the door. "I got a call about a stranded news crew. I take it you're it?" The man was a sheriff. He also looked as familiar as Paulina.

"_Kwan_?!" Was the general surprise, but this time Paulina and Mikey had joined them.

"Whoa, what's this, a class reunion that I wasn't told about?" He asked in shock.

"Tom Sawyer! What's all this racket out here? Some of us are trying to sleep…_Great Expectations_!" Mr. Lancer exclaimed as he walked in from the hallway, notably in a bathrobe.

"Dude…I'm so tired, I don't wanna deal with loud kids tomorrow…" Dash said, coming in after Mr. Lancer, also in his pajamas. Upon seeing the others he blinked.

Then screamed. "AHHHH!!!!" He attempted to run off down the hallway but was abruptly stopped as he came face to face with the last thing he needed to see at the moment. Thankfully he didn't have to change what he had been planning to scream next. "GHOST!!!!"

The Fright Knight had found them. He searched the room, overlooking the adults. His face was one of annoyance.

"Now, Stacy!"

The ecto-blast from the lipstick gun hit its target. Ami and Stacy stood up from their hiding place behind the grand staircase. They smiled and shared a quick hi-five.

The moment was short lived however, as the Fright Knight was upon them fast. "You two have interfered for the last time." He said as he lifted his sword. "You both will now know fear…" He said in a low voice.

The girls braced themselves. "We're gonna die, we're gonna die…" Stacy chanted with eyes closed tightly.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up." Ami told her more forcefully and continued to look the Fright Knight in the eyes.

The blow never came. Just as the Fright Knight was about to swing his sword, he was sucked into the Fenton thermos.

"That would make the score 8 to 0." Cam said, rather satisfied, as Ted stood next to him, capping the thermos.

"Which sport?" Ted asked lightly, putting the thermos in his backpack and making small talk with his friend.

"I'm thinking hockey this time." He decided.

"An excellent choice I think." Ted smiled.

"Well, I guess we owe you one." Ami said as she and Stacy joined the boys.

"No need." Cam insisted suavely. "Just doing my job." Ami narrowed her eyes in exasperation.

"Gulliver's Travels! What is going on here?" Mr. Lancer demanded of his…current students.

"Mr. Lancer, I can explain everything." Jazz told him before he could approach the kids.

"Dr. Fenton, you've been explaining things since you were in high school. I want the answer straight from the mouths of the involved parties. That includes the two of you as well." He said at the end looking directly at Sam and Tucker.

"I…I thought you said there wouldn't be any ghosts on this trip!" Dash complained. "_That_ was a ghost! And those two, "He said pointing again at Sam and Tucker. "I thought were dead!"

"Hey, if we didn't want to show ourselves to the world, that's our choice." Sam defended. The former classmates' coming was completely unexpected and if at all possible they would not find out the exact reasons why.

"Man, now would be a really good time for someone else to show up so we don't have to explain anything." Tucker said with little hope.

"Sam? Tucker? It's not possible! This has to be a trick or something. You two were supposed to be dead!"

As everyone turned towards Valerie standing the doorway Sam, Jazz and Tucker sighed in relief.

"See, I'm not the only one!" Dash defended.

"You know, I think I just had a major sense of déjà vu…" Sam recalled their trip to the future and the eventual defeat of Danny's 'jerky older self'.

"I do have good timing like that." Tucker said proudly.

"No, you're just horribly in tune with luck in general." Sam told him, not very impressed.

"I got a huge ecto-plasmic reading on my scanner and I traced it to Mr. Masters' place. I got here as fast as I could when I realized this was where the kids were staying." Valerie said, still shocked to see most of her old classmates there. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry Valerie, we got rid of most of them already." Jazz assured her.

"So there are more! Where? It could hurt the kids!" She said, a bit panicked. "Oh, if only I'd gotten here sooner…"

"She would have if she hadn't picked me up." Said the newest voice in an apologetic tone as she stuck her blonde head through the doorway. "The tire on my car blew out."

"And she's _still_ copying everything Paulina does…" Sam said in a low tone so that only Tucker could hear her. "Some things never change…"

"Aunt Star!" Stacy said, elated. The girl ran up to give her aunt a hug and the rest of the group berated themselves for not seeing the similarities earlier.

"Great now we're only missing Fenton and then the whole gang is here…" Dash said in a sarcastic tone. Not really meaning anything to it.

"Speaking of Fentons…where is Lily?" Mr. Lancer dared to ask. "You don't think the ghost could have her?"

There was silence in the group. The kids exchanged a look with each other and gathered into a huddle as Stacy rejoined them.

"Wasn't Lily with you two?" Ami accused of the boys.

"She was. We were so busy helping the kid ghost that we didn't even notice where she had gone." Ted contributed.

"She was in the hallway with us. She disappeared after the argument about helping her dad." Cam concluded. The silence fell to the kids as they all came to the realization of where she was.

"Oh crap, she didn't!" Ami said with a bit of horror. "She's helping him take on Plasmius."

"Wait, I don't get it! What's happening?" Stacy asked, but none of the other kids answered her question.

The select female hearing of Valerie, Sam and Jazz caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Plasmius? He's dangerous! Who's taking care of _him_?" Valerie sputtered.

"Danny Phantom is supposed to be, but I think Lilith went to go help." Jazz said. "That's the problem. She just thinks she's a little ghost hunter, just like her grandparents." Jazz bit her lip and hoped it was a good excuse. Granted she had momentarily forgotten about Valerie's long-standing grudge.

"You have a kid too?! And, like, what kind of name is 'Lilith'?" Paulina interrupted, addressing Sam.

"I'm _still_ trying to get over that." Dash told her with little enthusiasm. He was still in a very delicate state of mind.

Paulina sent him a weird look. "Why? Besides Danny, you're the only one of us here who has a kid."

Sam had a horrified expression on her face, not even listening to the conversation between Paulina and Dash. So much so that she couldn't make fun at Paulina's newly acquired powers of observation or to defend her choice of name for her daughter. Tucker slapped his palm on his forehead. "This isn't going to end well…" He voiced. They knew what was coming next.

The sound of a large gun powering up was heard. "I'll be back." Valerie said in a dark tone, jumping on her jet sled and riding off.

"Valerie! No! He's not a bad ghost!" Sam yelled, running after her.

"You're after Plasmius! Not Phantom!" Tucker reminder her. Although with Valerie's one-track mind, it was probably lost to her.

"We're coming too!" Ted yelled as he tried to run after them, almost taking the other three with him.

"Hold on you four, you have a lot of explaining to do." Mr. Lancer said as he stopped them.

"You're not going after the ghost, Cam. It's not cool." Dash said sternly. "Your mother would kill me if you got hurt."

"Dad…I play every sport imaginable, if mom was worried about me getting hurt, she would have killed you a long time ago." Cam said as his response. This confused Dash for the time being, but Mr. Lancer still refused to let them go.

"But Mr. Lancer, they may need our help!" Ami pleaded.

"We know what we're doing!" Stacy added.

Well, after that the kids were convinced they had no chance to the adults letting them go. Mr. Lancer sighed in knowing this and told them to stay put after ordering Jazz to keep an eye on them.

"You kids have done plenty to help. It's up to the rest of them to finish what they started." Jazz said as reassurance. "If they can't stop Plasmius, no one else can."

During all of this Paulina, Kwan, Mikey and Star had been more or less silent, being good listeners for once.

"Okay Mikey, set up the cameras. As long as we're stuck here we might as well do something useful until Mr. Masters wakes up and can get us a ride out of here. Ghosts are interesting enough." Paulina said with a resigned sigh, but then lit up. "Especially if the ghost is Danny Phantom…" She said lovingly.

Mikey sighed deeply. Inwardly he contemplated if Danny Phantom knew about the shrine Paulina had of him in her dressing room. He'd seen it. It was frightening to any man who tried to walk into her life, which was probably her desired effect in the first place.

The fifteen years Phantom had been missing had only added to his 'mysterious allure', as Paulina had called it. She would not be settling for anything less.

"I don't want to wait." Ted said angrily on the opposite side of the entryway. "I can't stand the fact that Lily doesn't have us backing her up. She had to battle the Fright Knight alone and I don't want her to get hurt…"

"She's not alone." Jazz told him. "Danny's with her. Sam and Tucker will hopefully get Valerie under control before she can tear Danny apart but the point is she's in good hands. Danny has tons of experience under his belt. He won't let anything happen to her."

"But Lily doesn't." Ted stressed. "The fight during the dance was the first real ghost fight she's ever had and although she won, she _barely_ won. I was talking with Box Lunch about it earlier and she told me what Lily's been through. I'm worried about her."

When Lilith had gone to be by herself Ted had been left alone with Skulker and Box Lunch. Their discussion on her well-being had been interesting to say the least. Box Lunch had dragged Ted into the 'free Lily club'. Skulker had been about yea –close to bringing out the weapons and doing some serious pelt-removing. The kids had been saved when Lilith had come back, suddenly feeling a lot better for no apparent reason.

Cam had been freed from the parental conference as Dash went over to catch up with his old classmates, mostly making fun of Kwan that he worked as the sheriff of 'Hicksville, Wisconsin'. Kwan claiming it was only temporary until he could get a job on the international scale.

"She's going to be fine." Jazz said again. "If she's anything like her parents, she's tougher than she looks." With this last remark Jazz went to settle the other adults down and possibly get them to go to sleep to decrease the chances they'd find out what's going on.

The kids sat down on the grand staircase, all of them moping around with their own thoughts. "If only we had some more help…but I don't know any other people who are into this kind of thing." Stacy finally pondered out loud.

It was after this that the wheels in Ami's mind started to turn. She slowly sat straight up as a thought dawned upon her. "Stacy, I think you may have actually thought something worth while." She said off hand, concentrated on looking strait ahead as if formulating some sort of plan.

"Huh?" Stacy asked, confused.

Not bothering to elaborate, Ami jumped out of her seat and ran over to the adults. She asked Kwan a question and he directed her outside to his car. She ran out fast enough so no one could ask questions. Cam, Ted and Stacy shared a look and then quickly followed her out.

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Vlad; let her go. I'm the one you're after." Danny demanded, but it ended up coming off as almost a plea.

"You're right." Vlad said, tightening his grip on the still struggling girl in his arms. "You are, but this is an _excellent_ way of going about getting what I want."

The two men were at a standoff. Neither one had moved for a good while now.

"This isn't getting you anywhere, Vlad. You wanted me to join you willingly. Making me angry is not a very good way to do it."

Vlad tightened his grip on Lilith's throat. She panicked as she felt ecto-energy surging into that hand. She knew this would hurt.

Danny noticed the red colored ecto-energy form in the hand as well. Considering how powerful Plasmius was and the extremely close range at which he would use it, Danny had a very bad feeling about what he might have to do.

"Vlad, don't! You could seriously hurt her!"

Plasmius sighed. "That's the point, Daniel. Either I do something rather nasty to your daughter or you could pledge you allegiance to me. You'd live here, with Samantha and Lilith as well. Your family would be safe," He reasoned. "…with the exception Jack of course." He said with malice in his voice. "All you have to do is call me 'father'." He ended sweetly.

Lilith tried to shake her head furiously. She was terrified, true, but the last thing she wanted to do was be the reason for her father's downfall. From what little she had picked up, Danny didn't want to join Plasmius even if it meant the loss of his own life. She didn't know the background nor the specific events before her birth that had lead up to this moment, but she knew that Plasmius was bad and bad guys getting their way was never good.

"Don't do it!" She squeaked out. Even that small effort was a challenge with Vlad's hand limiting the amount of breath to speak. As she spoke the hold grew tighter. Lilith couldn't help but gasp. Half-ghost she may be, but air was essential still for life.

"Vlad, stop it!" Danny said, sounding more desperate.

"I will if you say the words. You should know them by now. I've only been repeating them to you since you were fourteen. Otherwise all this built up ecto-energy is going to have to go _somewhere_." Plasmius threatened. "You know I'd rather have her alive, but that's completely up to you."

Lilith shook her head again. The word 'no' passed her lips, but no sound was made as she made eye contact with her father. She pleaded with him not to agree. _"It's not worth it Dad! Don't do it!"_

"Just let her go." Danny said. The look in his face was tired and sad. His answer was clear.

"Ah, and so the paternal instinct takes over in the end." Vlad said with a satisfied smile on his face. "I won't accept your defeat until you say the words. After all these years of fighting it all comes down to this pathetic moment. You never had a chance, Daniel. Never."

"I'm not a kid anymore, Vlad. You know that I'm just as powerful as you are, maybe more." Danny dared to say. "I can't be your protégé. I'm an adult, you can't adopt me. Taking over the Ghost Zone is a horribly stupid idea. It won't work and you know it's not what you really want!" He said with the purpose of tearing apart Vlad's master plan.

The last point made Vlad visibly shake with rage. Lilith felt the result of it, but the older man did not comment on that particular subject. "I have enough informants on my side. All I need is your power combined with mine and of course Lilith is more than welcome to join." A finger made its way stroking Lilith's throat to her chin in an affectionate manner. Lilith squirmed as it tickled slightly, but more that it made her feel uncomfortable. "After all, what good is having all of this power and not being able to do anything with it?"

"It's good for stopping evil maniacs from taking over the world." Danny glared. "Before you captured me, I was never bored. I used my powers on a daily basis making sure Amity Park was safe."

"And what did you ever gain?" Vlad asked. His hands were still glowing red with the ecto-energy ready to fire at any moment. "Did the citizens ever say 'thank you' or ever really care? You were their hero and they shunned you. I can only imagine how much potential was wasted." He finished in disgust.

"Because I knew that I would _never_ join you!" Danny yelled, riled up by now. Talking about those early days was still a touchy subject for him. It still hurt, even today, even after they had slowly started to see him as a hero. Soon he almost wished he could retract that bold statement he was so used to saying.

"Careful Daniel, you don't really want to be saying that too loud do you? I know you didn't mean it." Vlad said in warning. He still kept the hold on Lilith's neck, but used his pointer finger on his other hand to let a string of ectoplasm drip down. It formed a rope that Danny recognized alike to one that he'd been bound in by his own future.

"What are you up to now Plasmius?" Danny asked. He was still stuck as to what to do, but he knew exactly what might end up happening next if he didn't do something soon.

"Since I have my hands full at the moment, I'd like to ask you to do me a small favor." He told Danny. "I need to go deal with the issue of your friends, but I'd rather not leave you two here without some reassurances. So I'd like you to tie her up for me. Then you can join me and only after that I can deal with the others accordingly. Besides, necks are fragile things and I'd rather not harm my granddaughter to- be.

Danny seethed. He was angry at himself. _"I should have confronted him a lot earlier…Now my family is going to have to pay for it along with me…"_ "I'm not going to tie her up, Vlad."

"Dad…it's okay. I don't mind. I'm used to it." Lilith said softly, stopping Vlad from making another threatening comment. She was still gagging slightly from the hold he had on her. "It'll be better. Trust me."

Danny held her gaze. He still didn't like the idea and his face said as much. He nevertheless did as Vlad requested. Danny could almost see how red her neck was going to be later and although she would be mostly helpless, it would be more comfortable. _"But why is he going about it this way? I don't get it…it doesn't benefit him at all…"_

"Hands behind your back child." Vlad instructed Lilith as Danny picked up the rope of ecto-energy, the whole time never loosing eye contact with his nemesis.

It took an amazing amount of bravery on Lilith's part to take her arms off of the hand gripping her neck. It had given her a false sense of security, as if she had some sort of control. After relinquishing her own grip she was completely vulnerable. But she trusted her father. Even though she had only met him a few times she now put her life into his hands.

"It's not too tight is it?" Danny asked Lilith with worry as he wrapped it around her wrists.

"Just as long as it's not too loose either, Daniel. She'll be fine just as long as you do what I ask of you. After you join me and I deal with your friends, telling them of your changed allegiances, I'll be asking her the same question." Vlad explained with a satisfied smirk.

"I'm fine." She was lying, but thankfully her voice didn't give her away.

When Danny was finished he backed off, trying to prepare himself for whatever might come next. Although he knew what he needed to do to keep his daughter safe, it was the one thing he never wanted to do. Whether it was just for his pride or for the well-being of others, he wasn't sure at this point in his life but it was clear that this battle would not continue for much longer. After many long years it was time to end this. One way or another.

Vlad finally released his grip on Lilith's throat then made a duplicate of himself and had it place her in a sitting position against the nearby wall, while he kept an eye on Danny lest he try anything heroic.

"Thank you again for your help, my dear." The original Vlad recombining himself as he spoke. "I couldn't have finally won without you. Now, back to business." He turned to face Danny for the last time. "Will you join me? Live out the rest of your life doing something worth your while?"

There was an unnerving silence in the room. Lilith felt she needed to say something, but found no sound coming from her mouth. As she kept her eyes on her father, he was keeping his eyes solely on Vlad. She could feel it coming, whatever it was.

As the silence continued Lilith let her eyes wander. Vlad was in a state between impatience and joy. He almost had one of the things he wanted so desperately. As her eyes were drawn back to Danny she caught a glimpse of an almost forgotten Plasmius Maximus.

Lilith felt herself gasp in surprise and hoped neither would notice. The device was lying on the floor just off to her left. Had she not been tied up she probably could have been able to reach it.

That fact, of course, did not stop her from trying.

"Daniel, as much time as we have, I'd really like to get this over with. Yes or no?" He asked again as Lilith moved as quietly as she could behind Vlad's back to get the device that could potentially turn the tides.

"_It's my fault…if only I hadn't tried to help…" _Lilith thought fleetingly as she reached out for the device. She was having difficulties looking where she was going and grabbing the Plasmius Maximus at the same time. Her hands being tied made it even more difficult to grab it. She didn't want to shock herself as it was still on.

Danny seemed to notice her efforts, but tried not to let it show. He began to stall for time. "Do I have to decide now? Aren't you going to give me five minutes? This is kind of a big decision."

"I've given you nearly twenty-five _years_. You will say it now and you will not give your daughter time to help you get out of this." He said sternly. He turned around and prepared an ecto-blast. "Time is up."

Lilith didn't have time to think or move. Danny didn't have time to answer. Vlad didn't even have enough time to finish his attack.

She had been taken out of the way at the last second by the very last ghost either man expected to show up.

"I still honestly can't believe this…" Danny said, still amazed.

"Skulker, you're interfering with my work. I'm this close to achieving my goals. This is a very, very bad time to be switching sides." Vlad said seriously. "Although I'm glad that little stunt was able to pull you out of hiding."

Skulker set Lilith back down without untying her. "Now we're one for one, Ghost-child." She was very exasperated at him not untying her, but his statement confused her. It was not something he was usually likely to say. It sounded…too deep, too serious, too thoughtful. As she thought about this Skulker took the opportunity to answer for himself. "Before I knew any of this was coming, I unfortunately made a promise that the child would not be left alone. I haven't seen a reason yet today why I should go back on it." He said blandly.

Plasmius laughed. "All these years, I still can't believe you of all ghosts were hiding her right in front of me this entire time. I have to give you credit. You weren't thinking about adding her to your pelt collection were you? She belongs here with her father. We could have been one big happy family years ago."

"You couldn't have ever replaced the family I have now!" Lilith yelled, trying to very comically jump out at him, but with Skulker holding her back still.

"She belongs to the Ghost Zone." He said. "To me especially. I didn't raise her so I could hand her over to you."

"You owe your allegiance and quite possibly your existence to _me_." Vlad Plasmius seethed. "This is between Daniel and I. You should not be a part of this!"

"Doesn't matter, because all it means is that I can do _this_." Danny smirked as he delivered a very powerful punch to Plasmius's face. He plummeted into the opposite wall. "Not so tough without anything to hold against me, are you?"

"The fact still remains that I have twenty years more experience than you, Daniel. I can and will defeat you, and then you will join me. I don't think I can make it any easier for your mind to comprehend!" Vlad said annoyed, dusting himself off. He then prepared for an attack.

"Dad! Look out!" Lilith yelled and instinctively rushed forward to help. Skulker, who had _just_ finished untying her, stopped her by force before she could go anywhere.

"You've already done enough damage. I'm getting you out of here and back into the Ghost Zone. Now." He told her.

"No! I'm not done yet! It isn't over!" She tried to squirm out of his grip to dosomething,_ anything_. She just wasn't sure what.

"Lily! There you are! Are you okay?!" Box Lunch cried as she phased through the wall, having just abruptly ended the conversation with her own dad, telling him very sternly to stay where he was She didn't want him getting into any more trouble. An oxymoron and she knew it.

Skulker let her go for just a moment as the friends reunited with a hug. "Yeah, I'm fine." She assured her. No sooner had Lilith said it, Danny was knocked back by a particularly powerful ecto-blast. This gave Plasmius enough time to turn his attention towards the small group for just a moment.

"None of you will be leaving here." He said, not looking very tired after his first bout of fighting against Danny. He had the power to back that statement up too. He sent a blast in Lilith's direction, keeping good on his word that if Danny wouldn't join him that he would do something nasty.

Everything happened fast. Lilith had averted her eyes from the blast, so when Box Lunch got in the way of the attack before it could hit her friend; everyone was a tad bit surprised.

"Box Lunch! Are you okay? Why did you do that?!" Lilith demanded holding on to her ghostly friend.

Box Lunch groaned in response and gave Lilith a glare of indifference.

"Heh, sorry." Lilith said sheepishly. "Standard question."

"You're my best friend, Lily." She said with half closed eyelids and a heavy voice. "I came here to dish out some doom and that's what I'm going to do, regardless what happens. All I want is for you to be done with this nightmare." She said sincerely. "Argh… it hurts…" The girl mumbled.

"She will be fine." Skulker said with a scowl. "Unfortunately"

Lilith couldn't help but feel horrible about it. Her friends were getting hurt, badly. She hadn't seen what was going on with her human friends, but hoped still that they were okay. What had begun with just a few select people had finally grown way out of proportion.

With a shadow across her face Lilith slowly stood up, leaving the two ghosts to wonder what she was up to.

"What are you going to do now, Whelp? I'm taking you back to the lair _now_!" He received no answer. "You had better not be doing anything stupid!" Skulker yelled after her. Lilith didn't answer him, ignoring the hunter ghost for probably the first time ever. She picked up the Plasmius Maximus where she had almost grabbed it earlier and gripped it tight.

Box Lunch was finally able to sit up straight, but it was still a bit painful for her as she held onto her side. She watched her friend move with determination, a look of worry on her own face. For once in her afterlife, she had nothing to say.

Danny was finally able to move out of the wreckage in the wall, but he still seemed a bit disoriented. Vlad took note of this, but kept his eye on the man's daughter instead.

"So, have you really decided to really try to fight me then?" He almost laughed. "I wonder…do you really have what it takes to win?"

"I don't have to win." Lilith responded, flipping the device off and on quickly to prove a point, make sure it was working properly and for dramatic effect. "I just have to make sure you lose." She said, eerily calm.

As Danny stood off to the side, gathering strength and in the middle of getting a weird feeling of déjà vu, Vlad was slightly caught off guard by the tone in her voice, but grinned. "So you do have a little bit of evil in you then. You have more in common with the two of us than I had originally thought."

"I don't have anything in common with you, besides the ghost thing. I'm not like you!" Danny yelled out of habit, finally out of the rubble and with a clear head.

"I…I just can't stand you anymore! Do you _enjoy_ making other people's lives miserable?" Lilith demanded. "Everyone here..." She said motioning to the two ghosts behind her. "…and then everyone_ not_ here has influenced my life somehow in a positive way. I count myself fortunate that I had as many opportunities that I did; to meet my parents, to have such great friends and family. But you," she yelled, finally at her breaking point and raising an index finger at Plasmius, "…have caused me nothing but trouble since the beginning!"

Vlad smiled. "And what do you plan on doing about it?" He said with a satisfied look on his face. Behind him, Danny had a look of worry that was slowly turning into one of panic.

"Lilith, no!" Danny yelled, flying in before she did what she was about to do next.

For her part, Lilith had flown in suddenly at top speed right towards Vlad, who was anticipating the attack, but did not move. Danny was heading towards Lilith, bringing the three half-ghosts in a collision course with each other.

Lilith shifted her grip on the Plasmius Maximus quickly before striking, she closed her eyes right before the impact. She felt the device ram into a body and a tear escaped her eyes. She had attacked someone purely out of anger. She had never done that before and it scared her.

She opened her eyes slowly, expecting to see Vlad Masters in his human form. Through teary eyes instead she saw he was still in his _ghost_ form. He was grinning madly as he held a barely conscious Danny up by the scruff of his shirt.

And it was he who was in his human form.

**A/N: Heeey, I'm getting better at this whole cliffhanger thing, huh:-)**

**The next chapter we're taking a break from the storyline and taking a trip to the past. Well, Lilith's past in the Ghost Zone that is. She has a big decision to make in the final chapter, so maybe the past will shed some light on why she makes the choice she does. (The one for one thing also is explained.)**

**Thanks for all the suggestions! They're all great ideas! To Quacked Lurker, Clockwork gets a really big role in the epilogue, so hopefully what you're looking for will be there. I think it's pretty funny in any case. **

**You guys spoil me way too much. Big happy thanks to: Meagaisttheworld, hermie-the-frog, katiesparks, DP fan, Quacked Lurker (and thanks for chapter 6 too!), ectoenergy, Psychic-Ghost, and Sleep Warrior (and for chapter 11 as well!). You guys make me feel tons better about writing. You are all so amazing I feel unworthy.  
**

**The past scenes still aren't done yet. I've got two more to write and one of them is pretty lengthy. All in all, the next chapter is pretty long. You'll have your fill of Ghost Zone by the end of it. I will try my very, very best to have it out next Thursday on schedule. **

**Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoy!**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**I'M SORRY!!!! So, so sorry! I decided at about one this past morning that I needed more editing time…this chapter was really difficult to get right. At least it's only a day late right?**

**I tried to take all suggestions into account. Thank you for all of your wonderful ideas! A good suggestion though from me would be to read each scene with about a five minute break between each. It's kind of weird to read straight through. I would know, I've done it about five times…this is where a beta for this fic would have come in really handy…ah, well, too late now.**

**Again, these are all scenes from Lilith's past in the Ghost Zone. They go in chronological order, so you won't get confused, I hope. The first scene takes place after Lilith gets back from playing with Box Lunch. (Her second day in the Ghost Zone)**

**Disclaimer: See chapter one.**

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

**Maddie: (reminiscing) **We shared everything, secrets Bunsen Burners, soda…

**Jack: **Ah, yes, nothing says bonding like backwash!

**Maddie: **Danny's just shooting up so fast; those special times seem to be slipping away.** (she sighs) **Ah, I miss them…

**Jack: (playing with puppets)** Maddie…they all have to grow up sometime…'Curse you Jack Fenton, you've defeated me once again!' Ha!

**:-) :-) :-) :-)**

"Here, see, I got some new clothes for you to wear." Skulker said, in some desperation trying to get his new pet to speak. Lilith looked up at him with blank eyes, and then turned back down to her feet. She was sitting on the couch, as she had been for most of the day. The previous day had been busy for the both of them to say the least, but now Skulker had been hoping things would quiet down.

"Are you going to put them on now, or never?" He asked rhetorically. Her clothes were worse than before. Who knew what kind of mischief Box Lunch had gotten her into earlier that day. From all the stories Skulker had heard about her, he quite frankly didn't really want to know.

Lilith looked at him with the same blank eyes. She stood up off of the couch and started to take off her shirt with some trouble.

"Okay, wait, hold on! You do not change in front of other people!" Skulker said quickly. "Go to the other room; remember we talked about this last night?"

She complied wordlessly as she took the new clothes into the next room. He waited a few minutes before she came back, looking a bit embarrassed. She continued to stare at him for a while.

"Well, what is it?" Skulker asked impatiently.

"I don't know how." She said simply, wincing as if waiting to be yelled at for saying anything.

Skulker paled. Neither did he. He had 'asked' a sales lady to give him an outfit for a four year old girl and she had given him one with no instructions, no questions and one of the best 'I'm really afraid of the ghost in front of me' looks Skulker had seen in a while.

This would be an adventure.

"Alright, come on, let's get this over with." He shoved her into the other room and they proceeded to struggle through the (sometimes) every day occurrence of changing clothes.

When it was done, Skulker forced her to a mirror. "Well, do you like it?"

Lilith nodded immediately. She didn't want to say no to her new caretaker. It was a simple enough outfit, a blue slipover dress with a white t-shirt to go with it, a red headband to keep her hair from blowing in her face. Lilith couldn't help but smile just a bit. She did like it.

Skulker noticed the smile and patted her on the head. "Good. Come, its time to show you around. You'll need to get familiar with things around here."

She followed him around obediently, taking in all of the sights and not saying a word.

"I need to get some measurements from you. Its standard procedure, I do this with every new being I capture. Lean up against the wall over here." Skulker explained as he led her firmly by the shoulder to a section of the wall with a rather big measuring stick on it.

"Hmmm…a little shorter than average for a human female, but still normal." Skulker said mostly to himself. "Although, you are the first naturally born hybrid. I suppose I should allow for some inconsistencies. Alright, time for weight."

Again, her weight was lower than normal, but Skulker passed this off as having not eaten much in the past several days.

He set her down on the couch. "Open wide." He ordered. She did so. He looked around her mouth and then stuck a thermometer in it. A minute and a staring contest between the odd couple he took it out again.

"Well, you look to be healthy enough. Good. The last thing I need is you getting sick. Do me a favor Ghost-child and _don't_ get any of those pesky human child diseases."

Lilith blinked at him in a completely innocent fashion.

She didn't understand his decree, therefore when she got the Chicken Pox the very next week, Skulker was not in a good mood.

"Can't you move any faster, Spectra?" He asked impatiently. There were four of them. Lilith was in her newly made bed as Bertrand wrapped up her fingers so she wouldn't scratch any of her sores. This made the young girl very irritable. She pouted with her face and gave a pleading look to Skulker, but to no avail.

Spectra glared at Skulker. "I have a doctorate in child psychology, not in medicine dimwit. It's the Chicken Pox; she'll be over it in a week." She said shortly.

"But I don't have a week! There's hunting and…" He protested.

"Deal with it Skulker. You were the one who picked her up, she's your responsibility." Spectra said packing up. "Just call when she's old enough to actually understand what's going on. I'll be sure to come around and feast on the misery. Come on Bertrand, we're out of here."

"But…"

"You heard what she said." Bertrand said as they made their way out. "The kid isn't going to die. Isn't that all you care about anyway?"

Luckily for Skulker he didn't have to answer as he got his own door slammed in his face. At the moment that question was easy to answer. Later on, it would be much more complicated.

**Scene**

She was still doing it. She had been doing it for the last…ten minutes, Skulker decided as he looked at the clock. All he had wanted to do that night was relax. Was that really so much to ask for? He had spent the better part of the last two years taking care of the child. He just wanted the night to feast and relax.

"Please don't kill it! It didn't do anything to you! We can still keep it!" Lilith sobbed hysterically. She had been clinging on to Skulker's arm for the past ten minutes and sobbing her eyes out. Why? Because Skulker was preparing one of the many ghost creatures to feast on that night. Lilith had caught him in the act and things had gone downhill from there. The only reason she hadn't stopped pleading was because at this point, Skulker really didn't feel like yelling at her. Had he done that, she would have stopped, gone off to her cage and go back to being her usual quiet self.

"I'm going to eat it, Ghost-child. You can stop crying now." He said for the fifth time. It only made her cry harder. She was holding on to the hand that held the butcher knife. He didn't dare chop up the creature until she had settled down.

He kept trying to remind himself that she was merely six years old. She didn't know any better. He tried his hardest to make her see that she was a part of his collection of rare and unique creatures and that she had no say in what he did or even in what she did. Oh yeah, that was working great. Skulker often thought this with heavy sarcasm.

"Please don't, please! We can keep it in the bathtub; you don't ever use it anyway!" She cried. "I don't want to see it dead!"

"It's already dead." Skulker said with superhuman patience. In front of him, the ghost creature was tied down securely to a cutting board. It struggled as if it knew what kind of situation it was in.

"Don't eat it! We can still keep it!"

There she went with the 'we' again; once again proving that she didn't understand her own station in life. Skulker had given up on trying to explain it to her for now. When she was older he would try again.

He sighed and did something he should have done ten minutes earlier. He set down the butcher knife and picked up the small girl.

She was still sobbing as he lay her down on her bed. "Please don't…." She repeated over and over again.

"Hush Ghost-child, go to sleep now. I need you to get up early tomorrow, got it?" She curled up into a crescent position as Skulker put the covers over her, an attempt to make her go to sleep sooner more than a comforting gesture.

In that moment Skulker realized that part of the reason she didn't understand was his own fault. He treated her better than his other prey. This was something he couldn't help. Raising the child was a full time job and despite the frequent headaches, he was surprised to find that he enjoyed it.

"You promise you won't eat it?" She sniffled, calming down a bit now that she was out of the kitchen.

"Go to sleep, Ghost-child. Now." He insisted.

"I'm not tired." She mumbled, the pillow cutting off some of the sound. Skulker sighed, thankful that she had a short attention span.

He left her side and closed the door to the cage, then turned on the ghost shield around it. She looked as if she had fallen asleep. This was expected. She had been up early that day. Box Lunch had come by unexpectedly and she had not taken a nap at all.

He grinned. Now; for peace, quiet and very much earned feast.

**Scene**

A typical description of a seven-year-old on Christmas day could be illustrated with a battery. In the morning, the child(ren) wear down the parents in anticipation of presents. Once the parents were finally up and running in the afternoon however, the children were tired and ready for a nap.

It should be said though, that Lilith wasn't a typical seven-year-old. She was sound asleep on Christmas morning. In honor of the annual Christmas Truce there had been a party late that night. Skulker had taken her with mostly as per the conditions of the Truce.

None of the ghosts had figured out how the Truce applied to her yet being that she was captive, but since she was too young to make a decision for herself they let her come to the parties and continued on as normal. As far as they were all concerned, she was one of them now. The fact that she was Danny Phantom's daughter didn't seem to matter much any more.

But it still didn't change the fact that they hated him. No amount of care for _his_ only child could change that.

Since Lilith's arrival, the Christmas Truce hadn't been what it used to be. Before, the other ghosts had actually needed it to get along. Even though it had been decided long ago that she was in Skulker's immediate care, with her around, it gave them a sense of shared purpose, a new obsession if you will. Although, it could be argued that this was merely an extension of their hatred of Danny.

But parties with adults went late. Before midnight had even struck Lilith had been fast asleep somewhere in Pariah's Keep, the typical gathering place as it was usually unoccupied. Box Lunch had lasted only a little longer, with the child ghost being a year or two older and from sheer strong willed personality.

Skulker had been in a frenzy trying to find his charge and had been even more worried upon finding her asleep next to the coffin of Forever Sleep. The last thing any of them needed was the ghost king awakened. And if he were to awake, he would remember the certain halfa that put him back to sleep and the consequences for Lilith would not have been pretty.

But that had been last night; Skulker's fears were alleviated when Pariah Dark did not awake and Lilith continued to sleep. Now this morning, it was time to wake her up. More celebration and the Christmas dinner were later that night.

"It's time to get up Ghost-child." He said, taking the blankets off of her bed. The girl stirred and forced herself to sit up in bed, rubbing her eyes. After three years she knew better than not to do what Skulker asked of her right away.

"I'm tired." She responded back. "I don't wanna get up…"

"It's Christmas day! All children want to get early today! Remember you promised to help me make that chocolate cake for the Christmas feast tonight." He said, crouching down her level and giving her a quick pat on the head.

Lilith gave off a little bit of a smile, which was rare for her at this age. She liked it when Skulker was a little funny and not serious and angry at her like he was most of the time.

For Skulker's part he was used to dealing with the small child. There were certain ways to coax her into doing things that weren't associated with violence. He found it much easier to deal with her this way. He also found it unnervingly natural to do.

"Come, I have something to show you." Skulker said. The tone was even, so Lilith wasn't sure what to make of it. She jumped out of bed and followed him into the main living area, which was decked out with tons of Christmas decorations. Some might have even said too many. Skulker was certainly a fanatic about the holidays.

Skulker bent down towards the bottom of the Christmas tree and pulled out a cage with a little green dog in it. He took it out and put the puppy into Lilith's arms. She had trouble holding it at first as it squirmed and yipped, but soon started licking Lilith's face, accepting her as its new friend.

"This is Cujo." Skulker explained. "Most of the time we leave him alone, but I'm giving him to you for a while to take care of."

Lilith's eyes widened. "Really?" She asked in utter disbelief.

Skulker smiled in satisfaction. "Yes, he's all yours. Soon you're going to be helping me take care of the other ghost animals in my collection. Cujo is already house-trained, so you'll get to practice with him." He stopped, and then added after a moment's thought, "Merry Christmas Ghost-child."

Lilith looked down at Cujo, who was panting at her with a happy grin on his face and then back up to Skulker. Then something happened. Looking back, it had to have been a little bit of a Christmas miracle. She grinned. It was probably the biggest smile she'd had since arriving in the Ghost Zone.

"Thank you! Thank you Skulker!" She said, giving the hunter a giant hug he wasn't expecting. "I promise I'll take really good care of him!"

"Err…yes, of course you will…" He said uncertainly. She was never this enthusiastic! "Now get off of me!" Lilith did so immediately, but instead of shrinking away from him as she usually did after he yelled at her, she continued to smile.

"Ah! There you two are!" Said a nasally voice. "I was wondering where you had gone off to. You weren't in your lab…"

"Technus, look! Look at what Skulker got me!" Lilith proclaimed proudly as she stuffed the salivating Cujo into the technology ghost's face. She was jumping up and down in excitement.

Technus gave Skulker a confused look, but for once in his afterlife, he didn't have anything to say. Probably because it had nothing to do with his specialty.

"What do you want?" Skulker groaned.

The master of technology sighed. "The Lunch Lady's oven broke…and she came running into my lab asking for the replacement parts…she's ransacking it right now…but you know how she is. I don't dare stop her. Besides, if she doesn't have a working oven, we don't get her cookies tonight."

"I love her cookies!" Lilith said gleefully, a noticeable sparkle in her eyes. Again Technus didn't know what to make of this sudden transformation in the girl. Usually she was so silent her presence was barely noticeable. She never contributed to a conversation unless poked and prodded.

"Go play with the dog, Ghost-child." Skulker ordered. "Somewhere _outside_, but don't leave the island!"

Lilith was already out the door and in her ghost form. "Okay!" She called back as she let Cujo down on the ground. The ghost puppy ran off and Lilith ran after him.

"What's gotten in to her?" Technus asked.

"I gave her the dog as a present." Skulker sighed. "I showed her kindness! I did it to get her ready to help me take care of the rest my collection, but …well…look at her! She's happy! She's _never_ happy!"

"Look on the bright side! Maybe she won't be as quiet anymore! You should think of sending her to a place of schooling in the near future!"

"To the human world?! Are you insane! Do you realize how many things could go wrong. Worst of all it would give her ideas! Ideas I've tried very hard to never let enter her mind! If she sees the other children she'll want what they have! Everything will be ruined!" Skulker yelled.

Technus thought for a moment. "Then, perhaps I, Technus, master of…" Skulker's glare cut his rant short. "…uh…could be of some assistance! I am most familiar with the math and sciences!"

Skulker thought. "She does need to learn to read and write as well. A little bit of home schooling never hurt. I'd rather not have her to grow up knowing nothing. I know the Ghostwriter has been rather bored in Walker's prison…he would be the best person to instruct her in that regard."

"Well, the Ghost-child_ does_ technically belong to you." Technus mused. "Whatever you wish, but eh, just don't tell Desiree I said that, 'k?" He said, looking a bit nervous. Skulker opted not the respond to that.

He watched Lilith float around with Cujo, playing some sort of fetch with her small, concentrated ecto-blasts, her first real power that she had learned to control only a few months earlier. She had been very excited about it, but had shown restraint by only showing Skulker and Box Lunch.

"'Belong to me'" Skulker mused on Technus's words. "…yes, yes you do." And that was all he really wanted.

**Scene**

"Ah, there you are Ghost-child; I've been looking for you all over the place." Skulker said as he walked into the dining area. Lilith was at the table, practicing her writing in a book the Ghostwriter had given her. She had a slightly different outfit on. She claimed the blue jeans and red T-shirt were much more comfortable than a dress. Besides, it had long since become too small for her.

She smiled when he came in. "Look! I'm almost done!" She exclaimed proudly, showing him her messy writing. The sentences she had written down were hardly readable and Skulker wouldn't have known they were words strung together had the real sentence not been typed above the writing.

Instead of saying what he thought of her writing he switched the subject to why he was really here. "I was out hunting today and I've caught a very rare beast. Come, I'll show you."

"It's not big and scary is it?" Lilith asked in apprehension. "The big ones try to bite off my hand when I feed them." She complained.

"This one is…WHAT? No, it's not going to bite off your hand. You just have to be more forceful with them." He said, slightly exasperated. At nine years old she was still as infuriating as ever.

Raising a child, Skulker had found very quickly, was no small task. Especially when he had to walk the fine line of her being part of his collection. Her cage was next to the large room, yes, but she was hardly ever in it. This was _not_ how he had planned out her life. But somehow, things had worked out. She was helpful, doing chores around the lair. It gave Skulker more time to hunt and pay attention to other matters Plasmius put forth for him. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if he would have done the same thing for the original ghost-child.

Possibly, but he certainly wouldn't have been happy about it and would have probably tried to escape a lot. Lilith had been young, perhaps too young for the hunt to really have been a challenge. He had time to shape her mind and mold it to what he wanted; to make her want to stay. So far, it had worked like a charm.

"It was an incredibly difficult catch." Skulker continued on gloating. "But as always I was victorious in the end."

The two entered the room full of cages; Lilith's eyes immediately went to the newcomer. It was a larger cage, as it was a larger ghost creature. It looked sort of like an ectopus in her eyes, but larger and a bit more menacing. There was something about it that made her suddenly very uncomfortable.

She scooted closer to Skulker, feeling a bit safer. The hunter ghost prodded his new catch with a shock stick, it squealed in pain before giving off a low growl.

Its growl diminished as it caught sight of Lilith. The two locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity. The young girl was so entranced she hardly even noticed that Skulker was still speaking.

"_You as well?"_

Lilith halfway screamed as she ran behind her guardian, interrupting his monologue. "It talked!" She said, rather frightened.

"You're imagining things, Ghost-child. It can't talk." He sighed; a bit exasperated that she hadn't been paying attention to him.

"But it did! Didn't you hear?" She said nervously, giving short glances back at the creature.

"I heard your whining!" He said back pointedly. "You can't keep making things up like that. Go ahead and start feeding the other specimens. I'll teach you to have a little more backbone when dealing with them."

Lilith did as she was told, just happy to get further away from the strange new creature. She started at the furthest end with the smaller creatures. Most of them were docile and she sometimes let them out of their cages for a while to hold and pet them when Skulker wasn't looking. They reminded her of Cujo, her old pet. Skulker had made her let him go after a year or so but after a while she had adopted these other creatures as her own. She enjoyed looking after them. Deep inside her experience with Cujo told her that she needed to set them free, but Skulker wasn't happy when she did that…

At the moment Skulker had left to do other things. She knew he'd be returning soon, so she continued to work a bit faster rather than her usual snail-like pace.

Finally she could avoid the larger creatures no longer. She inhaled deeply to prepare herself for the task. It was never fun.

Surprisingly, this day was not as difficult as it had been before. None of them tried to bite off her hand and they all ate with relative silence. Lilith turned herself once more to the new creature. There was something unsettling about it.

Without Lilith even noticing the two locked eyes again, she unconsciously dropped the bag of food she had been carrying. One of the Creature's many octopus-like arms slithered out past the bars of the cage. The arm snaked its way around her and the tip began to caress her face in a loving manner.

"_You too are a prisoner here?"_

This time Lilith didn't scream. She was literally frozen in fear. It really was talking to her. It was talking to her in her _head_. Telepathy. She had briefly learned about it once, but could not remember much about it.

"No." She whispered in response to the question, subconsciously shaking her head.

The arm that was around her seeped to the back of her neck. She felt no pain as it punctured into her skin.

"_I see your prison." _The Creature said exclusively to her. _"I see your memories, the pain you've gone through, all at such a young age." _It said, sounding very sympathetic. _"You are not loved here…"_

"No!" Lilith shouted suddenly, thoroughly shocked by the statement. "It's not true!"

"What's going on in there?!" Skulker's booming voice came closer with each word. The Creature retracted its arm quickly and the hunter ghost entered to find Lilith looking very frightened. "What are you doing Whelp? You're screaming for no reason!"

"It…it was talking to me!" Lilith protested.

"For the last time Ghost-child, it does not talk." Skulker said, walking up to her. He took her by the wrist. "Come, its past your bed time anyway." Lilith didn't struggle as he took her along with him towards her own cage, nor did she speak. Not even to complain about having a specific time that she had to go to bed. She was greatly troubled by what had transpired that day and hoped it wouldn't happen again.

The Creature continued to stare at her with its beady red eyes even as she left the room.

**:-):-)**

That night silence reigned in Skulker's lair, as it typically did. Skulker was off hunting, as he usually did at night. This was done mostly so Lilith would not be lonely during the daytime hours. She still had yet to completely get over her fear of being alone. The girl herself was fast asleep, breathing lightly under the blankets.

In the collection room, the Creature's eyes glowed a bright red. The bars of the cage melted open with merely a thought from its mind. It floated out of the room and stopped to gaze upon Lilith's sleeping form.

One of its tentacle arms turned off the power to the ghost shield, then used its mind power to melt the bars to her cage, as it had done with its own. Gingerly it used another tentacle to uncover the blankets and then wrap them securely around the young girl.

She did not wake as it flew away from the island.

**:-):-)**

The first thing Lilith felt as she woke up was cold. The hard surface she lay on was not the comfort of her bed. She woke up instantly with a frightened expression on her face. Her oversized shirt and her long pajama pants were damp and it made her cold. Wrapping her arms around herself, she began to get warmth from rubbing her body. This didn't work so well, so she changed into her ghost form, which at least was warmer than what she had on her human side.

At the same time she began to get familiar with her surroundings. She was in Pariah's Keep. A place she was familiar with. Good. She'd been here a few times with Box Lunch, exploring and stuff as well as the parties a few times a year with the whole company of the Ghost Zone. Skulker had told them stories about the old day of Pariah Dark's reign over the Ghost Zone and the short incident when he had escaped.

It was the one time her father had been spoken of in a relatively nice sense. He had saved the Ghost Zone. And whether the other ghosts wanted to admit it or not, he had their thanks for it.

It still didn't change the fact that they hated him though.

"_Is it any wonder that this is why the hunter ghost keeps you? You are not only human, but ghost as well."_ The Creature loomed over Lilith. She shrunk back to the wall in fear.

"Wha…how did you get out?" Despite this, Lilith was scared to realize that she wasn't really surprised it had broken out. "What do you want with me?" She didn't see any of the other creatures here. It was only the two of them and a ghost king locked in the Forever Sleep.

"_I have rescued you. That place is a mockery of our existences. We do not belong there." _It reasoned.

"No! You don't understand! I live there, it's my home. You can't take me away from my home! Skulker'll come after you! He'll find me, and then you'll be sorry." She countered.

"_Your home in which you, a human, live in a cage, under the guardianship of a ghost who cares little for your well-being? You and I are the same in his eyes, both rare, intelligent and nothing more than a challenge. Your life is as a game to him."_

"He does too care!" Lilith yelled at it. She looked quickly to her right and then ran. There was an opening in the castle walls. She could escape and find Skulker, and then she'd be safe.

The Creature's eyes glowed red once again and Lilith gasped lightly as she found herself lifted off of the ground with a light red glow around her body. It wasn't by any will of her own, but by the telekinetic power of the Creature.

"_I am saving you from a fate worse than death. Do you really want to spend the rest of your existence in cage? Never knowing the truth?" _The Creature dropped Lilith down gently against the wall. She looked at it in a resigned way.

"You can't keep me here." She told it confidently.

"_And the hunter can?"_ The Creature responded. _"What attracts you to him? He treats you poorly." _

"He saved my life." She said meekly. He did too care. "Bad people would have gotten me if Skulker hadn't found me. He's all I've got."

The Creature considered this for a moment. _"If he is all you have, then you have nothing. Has he ever told you why he saved you?"_

"That's not true!" Lilith said, still sitting against the wall. She felt more and more desperate and a loosing argument coming.

"_When he is tired of keeping you, he will kill you. You and I are no different. Now, come with me, I shall help you to escape to my dimension, where you will be safe."_ It said, extending a tentacle towards Lilith.

The girl still clung to the corner. She shut her eyes, half hoping to wake up in her own bed and none of this ever happening. "No…it's not true, please stop it." She pleaded.

Before the Creature could grab hold of her again, it let out an ear-splitting cry of pain. Lilith looked and saw that Skulker had truly found them and he was engaged in the battle of re-capturing the Creature.

The Creature growled at it turned to face its adversary.

"I'm not sure how you were able to escape your cage, but I'm giving you one chance to come quietly, Beast. Normally an escape warrants the honor of having your pelt on my wall, but I'm feeling generous today." Skulker said with confidence.

Lilith saw the Creature's eyes glow bright red. She knew now what this meant. "Skulker! Look out! It can do stuff with its brain!" She shouted, not remembering the pronunciation of telekinetic in the heat of the moment.

"Ghost-child?! What are you…?" He didn't have time to finish the question, as he found out very quickly what Lilith had been talking about.

"_Now Hunter, you shall know what it feels like to face your imminent destruction."_ Every weapon Skulker tried was rendered useless as they were all torn from his suit the moment he brought them out. _"You will no longer torment those weaker than yourself."_

Skulker felt his ectoplasm move wildly about, much different than normal. If it kept up this way, it would surely explode and he would be done for. The hunter became the hunted in his final moments.

"Leave him alone!" Within two seconds of Lilith's demand, Skulker felt the pain ease, and return back to normal. He hit the ground with a clank.

He looked around to see strings of ectoplasm spewed all about the Keep. On the end across from him was Lilith, currently his greatest prize. Her hands were outstretched and she was shaking, very nearly in tears. Skulker came to the shocking realization that she had just released an ecoto-blast powerful enough that it had destroyed the Creature. Speaking in human terms of the situation, she had just saved his life.

Lilith finally seemed to get a hold of herself and ran over to Skulker in tears. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to destroy it." She sobbed as she clung to him. She was reminded of the several times in the past that she had watched Skulker eat the ghost creatures. It hurt that she had now done something much, much worse.

"It's alright Child, there was no avoiding it." He was too shocked to say anything else.

"I know how much you wanted to catch it…but it was scaring me and it was going to hurt you." She continued to cry. "I killed it…" She said, slipping into human terms again. "I killed it…"

"Come, let's get you home." He said finally, at a loss of what else to say. He certainly couldn't tell her his thanks, it might further ruin her. He especially couldn't get over how powerful her attacks were, at such a young age already. He knew now that he could not continue to merely over power her. She had just destroyed a difficult catch in his eyes with a single ecto-blast. It frightened him more than he wanted to admit.

"Skulker, why did you take me in?" She asked as they walked away. She was wiping away the last of her tears. "For real?"

"For my collection, Ghost-child. You're one of a kind. I couldn't let that pass." He said rather truthfully.

"Like all the other creatures you have?"

"Yes." This was one subject he had never lied on. As long as she knew her place things would be just fine. He'd actually been waiting for this opportunity, for her to finally be old enough to understand.

"Oh." Lilith tensed. "Skulker….do you care about me?" She asked hesitantly.

Skulker looked at her quizzically. "What kind of question is that? Of course I do! You're one of the single rarest species out there! I certainly care for you more than I do the others. You're much more helpful."

"But…do you love me?" Lilith said, laying her head down on his shoulder as they continued to fly back to the island. "I…remember my mom; she used to say that a lot. She cared about me too, but you never say it."

"That, Child, is something that won't be happening here. I may care for you, but I'm not your mother. I only took you in because of what you are."

Lilith's heart sunk. She realized the Creature had been right. She was a prisoner here and there was nothing she could do about it. She liked Skulker and was attached to him, too much perhaps. She realized with a heavy heart that despite all of this, she could never bring herself to leave here; her home.

She was afraid though. What if she really was no more than another creature for his collection? Did his run away policy apply to her as well? She was frightened at the thought that he could and would kill her as their true relationship became fully comprehendible to her.

"Okay." She responded, trying to relax and thinking about going back to sleep. At the same time trying to salvage what little pleasant thoughts she still had. All of her memories of the two of them seemed to suddenly take on new, sinister meanings.

Skulker was having thoughts of his own. The attack was still on his mind and it was disturbing him as it probably would for a long while. She was going to be as powerful as her father, that much was clear. The thought of this had crossed his mind, but he hadn't been expecting it this early. The other ghosts needed to be informed of this.

Then a thought struck him. If she was powerful enough to destroy that powerful a ghost creature, then she would have no problems dealing with the rare bests he typically hunted. She would be an excellent sidekick. She was small and packed a big punch. It was ingenious. He only faulted himself for not thinking of it earlier.

Her mind needed to mature however. Technus and the Ghostwriter already had dibs on when they would tutor her, after a very amusing battle between technology and the written word. He could wait though. They had the rest of forever, and Skulker could resolve himself to being patient for once.

For now though, as he arrived back at his lair, he allowed her to sleep in. After today, she deserved at least that.

**:-) :-)**

Two eyes glared at him while he went about his duties. The two figures refused to speak.

Clockwork blinked innocently. "What?" He said as he sent the Creature back to its own timeline; many hundreds of years in the past. The ectoplasm that the two had seen were merely small bits from the Creature, Lilith would have destroyed it had Clockwork not stepped in. But it was very much alive, just very, very injured.

"You did it again!" The first Observant yelled.

"Did what again?" Clockwork said, playing dumb. "I tend to do a lot of things that you two don't agree with."

"The timeline was not at stake, you did not have to do that." The other Observant said scoldingly.

"You shouldn't be watching over her in the first place! Your priority is to Danny Phantom and his evil other." Said the second, taking a chilling look at the cracked thermos on a nearby ledge.

"I _am_ watching over them." Clockwork defended. "Everything is going as it should, _as usual_. You two have nothing to worry about. Now, don't you have some more observing to do? Or other ghosts to annoy?" He said flatly.

The Observants shared a look of disapproval, but left Clockwork to his own once more. The ghost of time smiled as he watched Skulker put Lilith in her bed. "All in due time…" He said mysteriously. He switched the scene to a very distraught looking Danny in Vlad's darkened laboratory basement. "Don't worry Danny; it'll all be over before you know it." He said, but at the same time he felt sadness for his protégé. It seemed a hard fate for one who had worked so hard to protect those he cared about.

But Clockwork knew everything, so he wasn't worried at all.

**Scene**

"Box Lunch…are you sure this is a good idea?" Lilith asked hesitantly. After seven years of friendship between the two, Lilith knew better to know that her best friend's schemes were never without consequences.

The child ghost waved off Lilith's worries with laugh. "Naw, it'll be fine! Now come on and throw the first pitch!" She said, waving a baseball bat carelessly around. She wound up for the anticipated pitch.

Lilith sighed. "Okay, but if we get in trouble for this, it's your fault." She said in a small voice. Box Lunch smiled as she knew Lilith would never do that. Lilith formed a baseball sized ecto-blast in a ball. She aimed and threw it towards Box Lunch's strike zone.

Box Lunch hit it square on with the bat. The two watched the ball of ecto-energy fly through the Ghost Zone…

…and then through the window of the highest tower of the ghost penitentiary.

It was a classic example of getting into trouble. Only getting in trouble with Walker was different than getting in trouble with one's parents. The girls stood perfectly still for about five seconds. Lilith turned and dared to speak first.

"What do we do?" She was shaking all over.

The girls saw the gates open and the police vehicle roll out. "Run!" Box Lunch yelled, grabbing Lilith's stunned body by the arm and dragging it with her.

In the end it was no use. They both knew the routine having seen it many times before. Cuffed at the wrists and ankles, then shoved into the police vehicle and then dragged off to the prison.

Everything happened in such a blur. The next thing Lilith knew, she was strapped down to a chair with a very bright light focusing on her.

"Hello Punk." Lilith recognized Walker's voice, but was too focused on getting adjusted to the light.

"Hi Walker." She greeted back in a nervous voice. She put on a smile for good measure.

"You see this?" Walker said, pointing to a slight burn on his cheek. "I got hit by a rather unexpected ecto-blast that came through the window in my office. Care to explain?"

Lilith felt like dropping dead right then and there. She was nervous and afraid. So, she started to talk.

"I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know that Box Lunch could hit that hard and I should have made it stronger so it wouldn't go that high and I didn't think. We shouldn't have been playing so nearby your prison and we weren't even going to play baseball at first but Skulker wouldn't let us use his training facilities and the island is too dense to do anything there so we just kind of flew around and we ended up here and we…"

"Stop!" Walker yelled. Lilith stopped and shrunk under his gaze. Everyone could tell when she was nervous; she'd always start to talk fast and try to apologize a million times. "Just seeing you roam around free is annoying enough. This gives me the perfect excuse to lock you up for good. You can serve your father's thousand year sentence for him."

"But what did I do? We can fix your window!" Lilith said hopefully, ignoring the part about her dad. She had good practice with doing that. Walker growled. "And uh…I know a really good ointment for ecto-blast scars…"

"I think, for you, Eternity would be an excellent amount of time." Walker said gleefully.

"Uh, to fix your window? I don't think it'll take that long, only a couple of hours and…" Lilith asked with a sickening amount of hopefulness.

"No." Walker had a very satisfying grin. "To spend locked up in prison. Although," He said considering something. "Maybe, if you're lucky, I can cut your sentence short."

"Really?" Lilith said with a smile.

"Of course, any date you'd like for your execution?" He said with a wicked grin.

Lilith paled. "I…don't think Skulker would like that very much…"

Walker frowned. "Which is why you probably won't be here for long. Consider yourself lucky he got to you first punk. But you're staying in prison for the night. He can't get you out of that."

Lilith finally exhaled in relief as she slumped back in the chair she was restrained to. "Okay." She said with a resigned sigh. She was used to being the captive. One night in Walker's prison wasn't going to kill her.

Although Skulker would probably destroy Walker once he got wind of this. The two were fairly evenly matched as far as Lilith could tell. This wouldn't be the first time they butted heads. She didn't like it when they fought though. These days it was normally over her.

"Well, I'm done with you for now. Enjoy your stay." He said with evil intent.

Lilith forced a smile.

The next day Skulker was dragging both girls out of the prison. He wasn't happy and Walker was in pain. "What were you two thinking? Do you both always have to find the easiest ways to get into trouble?!"

"We were playing, Frog-man! There's nothing in that stupid book of his that goes against playing baseball!" Box Lunch defended as Lilith continued to be silent, lost in her own thoughts.

"Anything that makes Walker angry is against the rules! You two need to just stay away from there, I've only told you this a thousand times!" He said scoldingly. "You know the way home, Pest. I'll drop you off here."

Box Lunch stuck out her tongue at him and turned to go to her own home. The trip back to the lair was spent in silence between the hunter ghost and the eleven year old girl with ghost powers.

Skulker closed the door with a slam when they arrived. Lilith cringed. "I'm in a lot of trouble, aren't I?"

"You know I don't like it when you don't come back at night." He said after a moment's pause. "I can understand that it was Walker's fault that you were delayed, but if it had been…" Skulker stopped himself short and pounded his brain for almost letting out the secret the entire Ghost Zone was keeping from her.

"I'm sorry." Lilith said dejectedly after a moment. She turned her eyes towards the ground.

"Sometimes I don't even know what to do with you." Skulker admitted sorely. He knew what he wanted to do. To keep her locked up all day and continue the tradition of hunting her around the island. She finally had begun to realize that it was _not_ hide and seek.

In the ensuing silence, Lilith had another question she wanted answered. "Skulker, why doesn't everyone like my dad? He looks nice in the picture."

Skulker launched into his explanation. "Your father is our enemy. In short, he defeats us and puts us back into the Ghost Zone. Many of the other ghost see keeping you here as revenge. You're a prisoner here. Nothing more, nothing less. "

"What do you think?" She dared to ask.

"A pet that asks too many questions." He responded immediately. "Now, you have chores to do and I have errands to run. And when I get back you had better be done."

Lilith sighed deeply. "Okay."

And suddenly, things began to make a lot more sense to Lilith. Admitting it was all true would be the hardest part. When the telepathic ghost creature had attacked she had been so sure of her loyalties. Skulker and Box Lunch were the two beings she trusted more than anything in the world. And yet they were so different to a point that Lilith really didn't know where she belonged anymore.

Box Lunch said she needed freedom. Lilith kept denying it.

Skulker kept saying she was meant for captivity in his care. Lilith honestly didn't feel like a prisoner. Only when he talked to her about it.

Right now though, she wasn't sure what she believed.

**Scene**

"Happy thirteenth Birthday Lily!" Box Lunch yelled unexpectedly, causing Lilith to jump at her desk in surprise.

"Ah! Will you stop that?!" Lilith turned around in her seat with a stern look on her face. "You made me loose my train of thought! This stuff isn't easy you know!"

Box Lunch looked on amusedly. "Then why are you doing it? You don't have to know this stuff. Besides, it's your birthday, you're officially a teenager! Take the day off!"

Lilith sighed. "Is it just me, or are you just looking for an excuse to get out of class?"

"Come on, let's go do something." Box Lunch pleaded.

"Both of you should be working on revising your final drafts of your papers." The Ghostwriter said, coming out of nowhere.

"Booorrr-ing!" Box Lunch complained.

The Ghostwriter glared and was about to speak before he was interrupted by his 'co-teacher'.

"They should be working on the math and sciences!" Technus argued. "It's much more useful to understand the inner workings of the great technological devices of the world!"

"I did bring the ecto-weapon you wanted." Lilith said as she dutifully held out the device for the master of all technology. And to her, he certainly was.

"Excellent work Ghost-child! I shall use this wonderfully crafted piece of machinery to take control of…" A stern glare from the Ghostwriter cut off Technus's signature rant. "I uh…what I mean was, what an excellent learning opportunity to examine this device's inner workings!" He smiled fakely.

"Not with your papers on the history of the Ghost Zone due tomorrow." The Ghostwriter said sternly. "I trust the two of you_ just_ have a final editing to do?" He prodded.

Lilith nodded in response. "Yeah, I did that last night." The Ghostwriter gave a smile of approval, as he often did. She was a very diligent student.

Box Lunch rolled her eyes. "You're such an overachiever Lily…"

Technus oooed at the weapon. "Hey, is this the new proton disrupter….?" The Ghostwriter promptly took it away from him. Technus looked like a baby that just had his candy stolen from him.

"Class is dismissed for the day. Those rough drafts are due tomorrow…"

"And your science lab!" Technus cut in. The girls raised an eyebrow.

"Which one?" Lilith asked.

"The uh... weather one...yeah, lets go with that one! All those scientific instruments..." He sad gleefully.

The Ghostwriter growled. "..both are due tomorrow…right Box Lunch?" He asked pointedly.

Box Lunch was looking over her fingernails as if something about them was more important than whatever the Ghostwriter was saying. "Yeah, I got'cha." She replied unenthusiastically.

Lilith stood up and sighed. "We'd better go and get our work done. See you tomorrow." She said as she changed into her ghost form and led Box Lunch out of the ghost library, their classroom for all practical purposes.

"Why do you always do that?" Lilith asked as soon as the two were far enough away. They were both on their way to Box Lunch's place, where the Lunch Lady usually had something baked for the two of them.

"Do what?" Box Lunch asked with a shrug.

"Not care." Lilith said a bit sadly, but with conviction. "You _never_ care about your schoolwork. It's important. And making poor Sindney do it all the time isn't very fair..."

"Important how? I'm a ghost. I learned all I needed to know years ago. I only keep going because that's what you do all day. You're the only person in the Ghost Zone worth hanging out with every day. Besides, you'll actually need this stuff." She admitted. Lilith looked a bit hurt and guilty for making her friend do something she didn't want to do.

Box Lunch noticed her look. After all these years of them spending day in and day out together the teenage ghost knew exactly what was on Lilith's mind. "You're not going to spend your entire life under Skulker's thumb, Lily. You've got to get out."

"Box Lunch, you _know_ I don't like talking about this…" Lilith pleaded.

"But it has to be talked about! He's been keeping you away from everything that you should have! Being around other human kids your age for one, a real family…" She didn't get much further in her lecture.

"Stop it!" Lilith yelled sharply. "I'm so sick of you saying that! My biological family is dead! My family is here, in the Ghost Zone. Nothing will _ever_ change that!" There was silence between the two as they both thought about what had been said. "I'm sorry." Lilith said softly, eyes down. "I didn't mean to yell at you like that…"

Box Lunch was silent for a few moments longer before speaking again. "That's what Skulker's told you, but have you ever asked anyone else? What about this Clockwork guy you keep talking about?" Pause. "You need to get out of here Lily. At least experience the human world in it's full before making a choice, I mean, you don't even know what its like besides the haunts we do and the movies you watch! I can't make a decision for you, but I can try and persuade you, even if it seems like you've already made up your mind."

"But I…" She stuttered.

"I know you Lily. You've _always_ wanted to go to school with other kids your age. You deserve it. You need it. It's not like you're leaving forever." Box Lunch argued.

"…I'll talk to Skulker about it…" Lilith consented after a few moments' contemplation.

"And finally we have progress." Box Lunch said content. "Although if you ask me; frog-man shouldn't have anything to do with it."

"He has everything to do with it." Lilith defended. "He took me in when I needed it the most. His intentions may not have been the purest…but it was a beginning at least. I owe it to him to at least ask him. He's done a lot for me, a lot of things he didn't have to do. Please understand that."

Box Lunch sighed. "I do. More than you think." She shrugged. "In any case, this is getting too serious! We've got cookies to eat at my place, and then what do you say about playing with the virtual Sims at your place?"

Lilith smiled. "Playing Doomed on a virtual reality setting on the World Wide Web with humans we only know by screen name?" She smirked. "Always."

"Okay, but this time I get to be the mage." Box Lunch said quickly. "Last time you were the mage we got pounded by ShakespeareWarrior. What the heck kind of screen name is that anyway?"

Lilith laughed. "Okay, fine. But I get to use the broadsword! You make me use the rapiers too much. I don't like the motions as much."

"For the birthday girl? Anything. It's a deal. Team Phantom is ready for action!" Box Lunch joked. The girls high-fived and raced on towards the smell of freshly baked cookies, laughing all the way.

**:-):-)**

Now the day of fun was over. They hadn't beaten their main rival in Doomed, but had lots of fun running around the levels. Skulker had finally yelled at them to get off. There was no sun in the Ghost Zone, but it was getting late according to the clock.

Lilith now found herself gathering up the courage to bring up the question she had promised to ask. Skulker was watching the big plasma screen television on the wall opposite the couch they were both sitting on. Lilith was wrapped up in a blanket leaning up against Skulker's arm, staring blankly at the fireplace on the adjacent wall. It was the only illumination in the lair at the moment. She easily got lost in her thoughts watching the giant flames dance around.

It was these sorts of nights that were her favorite, when she felt the safest; the most secure. The atmosphere had a calming effect on her. As if nothing could go wrong. Perhaps this was the reason why she felt she could finally ask.

"Hey Skulker, can I ask you about something?"

"You know you can talk to me about anything, and that you should." He told her, flipping through the channels and putting the Discovery channel on mute.

Lilith sighed heavily and turned around to face him. "I…I've been thinking lately." She said, trying to phrase her question in the form that would earn her the least amount of yelling. "And I was wondering if you'd let me go explore the human world some more. For purely educational purposes, that is!" She ended hastily.

Skulker gave her a look. "What _kind_ of exploring…?"

She looked away from his gaze. "Well…see, I learn about all these different places in the library and we go see them…but it's just me and Box Lunch. I don't know what other kids think, human kids. I…I'd like to go to school in the human world for while." There she had said it.

"Absolutely not!" Was Skulker's expected reaction. "You don't understand what it's really like! What's wrong with Technus and the Ghostwriter? They're doing a good enough job aren't they?"

"It's not them!" Lilith defended. "It's me. I know I don't understand. That's why I want to go. There's only so much you guys can teach me here. Please, you know I haven't asked for much, but this is one thing I think I really need to do."

Skulker grimaced. As he looked back on everything, he realized she was right. "I don't like it. I can't let you go." Inside he was panicking. He had hoped the day would never come when she would be asking for these types of things.

Lilith took one out of Box Lunch's reply book. "You can't, or you won't? What harm could it do to send me to school there? I promise I'll always come back home. I just want to know what it's like to be around humans for a while…"

"And if you like it better then what will you do? You belong to me; it's easy for you to forget about that anyway, it would be much easier for you there. I want to be able to keep an eye on you."

"Then put a tracking device in me, or something else like that. I wouldn't ever leave here, not by my own choice, I swear I wouldn't. You've got to believe me." She pleaded. "I'm getting older every day. I won't get another chance like this ever. Not when I'm grown up."

"You're still too young." Skulker was slowly coming out of reasons to say 'no'.

"I'm almost my dad's age when you started hunting him. I think that's old enough." Lilith countered.

"You'd have to hide your powers. If they knew of your ghost powers I'd be unable to help you. Humans don't like ghosts." He said plainly.

"I can do that." Lilith said with growing confidence. She was starting to believe she could win this argument. "I don't use my powers much anyway. I can do without them for long periods of time."

Skulker looked her over, considering his options. This was the thing he wanted to avoid. Sending her to school in the human world would change her mind, he was sure of it. Even for the four years of high school. It was risky, something he really didn't want to let her do.

But it was the look in her eyes that made him think. She hadn't had that look in her eyes for a long time. She truly wanted this. It wasn't just some random scheme that Box Lunch had planted in her mind. This was real.

And if things got too serious he could take her out. Or wait until she grew tired of it. Either way would work. She was smart enough to know when and where to use her powers.

He still didn't like it. It went against his actions and what he wanted to accomplish. Yet, Lilith wanted to go so badly. He would have another reason for her to look at him in favor. He would also have another thing to hold against her if the need ever arose. It was a win-win situation in this light.

"I still don't like it." Skulker said truthfully. "I don't want you to leave the Ghost Zone. When I first found you I wasn't even planning on letting you leave your cage. You've been extremely fortunate. If I let you do this, it has to be on my terms. Understand."

Lilith nodded eagerly. "So…you'll really let me go to school in the human world? With other kids my age? You're not just messing with me?"

"You've proven to me before that I can trust you. I can only hope that my trust is not unfounded."

"Thank you! Thank you!" She said, giving Skulker an impulsive hug. He pulled her away as he always did.

"Condition number one." Skulker said sternly. "You must come back every single day. No exceptions. There are still others out there who would be after you in a moments' notice if they knew who and what you were. I won't loose you just because the Guys in White were visiting that day."

"I promise I'll be careful." She said with more excitement than anything. She honestly hadn't believed that he would agree!

"Second condition, is that there will be no romance." Skulker knew from first hand experience in trying to hunt Danny that love was a very powerful thing. It hadn't helped that said romantic interest had a very nasty upper-cut (okay, granted pretty much all of the women that boy hung out with had amazing fighting skills…). He rubbed the bottom of his chin in painful remembrance. Never again had he tried to use the friends as bait. It was inevitable that Lilith would gain friends, although there was the chance that he hoped she wouldn't, but getting too close to a member of the opposite sex was not something he wanted her getting involved in. She was that age where hormones raged rampant.

Besides, if she devolved romantic feelings, it would tie her to the human world. Something Skulker wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Third is that you tell no one of your ghost powers. I think that explains itself." Skulker finished. "If you do these three things I don't think there should be a problem." Thusly he invoked Murphy's Law, albeit unknowingly.

"I really can't thank you enough." Lilith said gratefully. "I've always sort of wanted to do this…I was just always so afraid to ask. I won't let you down, I promise!"

Skulker sighed as he turned the television back on. "I could still change my mind; you aren't guaranteed to go yet." He warned.

"I can go shopping on e-bay for some really awesome school supplies!" Lilith rambled, not even listening any more. "I've always wanted one of those one-strap bags for a backpack! Do you think I'll need colored pencils? I wonder if they have pencil sharpeners in the room, and what different subjects there will be? I've got to take an art class I've always wanted to do some painting but the Ghostwriter says that the library would get too messy and I'd get it on the books, do you think they'll have an art class for beginners though 'cause I don't think I'm very good at it. Hey, do you think…"

Skulker sighed as he allowed her to continue. At times like this he really did wonder who was in charge around here.

**:-) :-)**

**Just over one year later…**

"Do you have everything ready yet?" Skulker asked impatiently.

"Have you seen my jacket?" Lilith frantically asked. Tomorrow would be her very first day at school in the human world. She was nervous, excited and couldn't be happier all at the same time.

"You're _wearing_ it." He said indifferently, and went back to looking at a map of the Ghost Zone. He had a mission to go on the next day while she was gone.

Lilith blushed in embarrassment. "I think I've got everything. I got all the stuff the letter said to bring." The letter detailed all the items she would potentially need for the school year. It had been addressed to her. To _her_! It was the first piece of mail she had ever gotten. After that day there had been no letting her spirits down at all.

"Then go to bed. You'll have to get up early to be there on time." Skulker still didn't like the whole idea of school. He'd asked Technus to keep an eye on her that first day, as he wouldn't be able to himself.

"I'm too nervous to sleep." She admitted. "I mean…it's really the school my parents went to, right? What if no one likes me?"

"You'll be _fine_." Skulker insisted, staring intently at the list of things he needed to find. "And you'll be even better if you get plenty of sleep."

Lilith nodded. "Yeah, you're right." She said as she headed off to bed. She stopped as she reached the door to leave the main living area. "And thank you; for everything. I really do mean it."

"Go to sleep Ghost-child." He said without looking up from his papers.

"Okay…good night." She walked in her 'bedroom' and closed the caged door behind her. She jumped lazily onto her bed. Her head happened to be pointed in the direction of her bed stand. On it was the picture she cherished the most. "I'm coming back for a while Mom…" She said to the picture. "It's not much, but I want to know what you and Dad were like. What you were really like. Who knows, maybe I'll find you there." Lilith chuckled slightly. "It would be really neat to have really known you guys…"

She closed her eyes and began to dream. She dreamt of her mom and it was nice. Little memories she never knew she had. By the time Lilith was deep asleep she was dreaming of the day she had been separated from her mother. There was nothing she could do about it until she woke up and began a new day when her life would change yet again.

**Scene**

**A/N: Remember when I said I wanted a lot of suggestions? "Ask and you shall receive." I ended up with 20 pages on Word (10 point font-non double spaced) and 11,000 words for this chapter, not counting the author notes. This should last you at least two weeks. Mostly because I have very busy times coming up with classes gearing up for Finals and going home for Thanksgiving. I can't guarantee any specific dates for the next post right now.**

**However, if a whole bunch of you send really awesome reviews of encouragement (but helpful criticism is still always needed too!), I may have to find more time in my day. If nothing else, tell me what scene you liked the best, or that you thought worked the best. Or maybe what scene didn't work for you? When I first started creating this fic, it was these sorts of scenes that came to mind. I tried my best to make all of them fit into how the characters think and why they make certain decisions. **

**The scene with Lilith not wanting Skulker to eat the ghost creature was based on a true event. Let's just say I was very adament about keeping the Northern Pike my mom had caught in the bathtub instead of her eating it.  
**

**Special thanks always to those who reviewed the previous chapter; Meagaisnttheworld, Blackstar456, katiesparks, hermie-the-frog, DP fan and Rishi-Rishi. **

**We return for the conclusion of the main storyline next update! See you then!**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 14**

**Hello, and Merry Christmas to you all. My deepest apologies that this is out a month late. I've been sick with bronchitis and even a little bit of pneumonia. Top that off with finals and every other little thing I have to do. Now that I'm home, I finally had the chance to sit and type for a while. I even got to update this on a Thursday for you. So, this may not be the best chapter I've ever written, but I hope that it is a satisfying ending to the saga.  
**

**:-):-)**

**Sam:**_(About giving Valerie the day off)_ You're not half bad, Danny, maybe someday Valerie will realize that the other half isn't either?  
**Danny:** I didn't say it was Valerie.  
**Sam:** You didn't say it wasn't. Relax, I'm sure wherever she is, she's finally enjoying herself. _(Scene changes to Valerie chasing The Box Ghost on her jet sled)_

**:-):-)**

"Dad!" Lilith yelled in surprise. Vlad dropped him to the floor roughly as Lilith did the same for the Plasmius Maximus, forgetting about it as she knelt down next to him. Her eyes were wide in fear and worry. Vlad casually picked up the device and used it on the teenage girl.

She yelped in pain and because of its effect she turned to her own human form. "It was a noble try my dear." He congratulated, trying to sound sad but soon turned back to his agenda. "It is time to ask one more time Daniel." Lilith watched her last hope disappear as he destroyed his own device so that it could not be used against him.

"Dad…I'm so sorry…I messed up big time…" Lilith cried. She allowed the tears to flow freely. In the past year she'd had plenty of reasons to cry, but had rarely done so merely by force of habit.

Danny groaned. "It's not your fault…" He reassured her with a smile. "There's always a way to get out. Always." He was weakened from both the shock and the fight. Even if he'd had his ghost powers at the moment it was doubtful he would have been able to use them to their full capabilities. "I guess I wasn't as strong as I thought. Dormant powers tend to backfire on you I guess…" He said, barely keeping himself awake.

"I expect a 'yes' from both of you and as a show of good faith I won't kill any of your friends." Plasmius warned, interrupting the moment.

"And as for you two." He turned to the two ghosts who had both been watching the fight up until now. Skulker had an unreadable expression on his face while Box Lunch was still in pain, but looking very worried. "I'm very disappointed in your behavior. I trust it will be better from now on."

"Don't count on it." Box Lunch said under her breath in disgust. Skulker, used to being the underling, gave her a sharp jab in the side where she was still hurting but continued to keep a firm hold on her. "Ouch, what'd you do that for?!" She said, venting out her anger to the wrong being.

Vlad ignored them both for the time being. He knelt down beside Lilith, who was still sobbing yet trying to gain control over the tears. Danny hadn't gotten off of his back. He was in pain, and not just physically.

"It's over, Daniel. How about it, _son_? What will you do now?"

Danny visibly winced at the tone, but probably much more so from Vlad's favorite names to call him. He saw Lilith had still not stopped crying and took her hand in his. She squeezed it tight and derived a bit of courage from it.

He gave a deep sigh, as if swallowing his pride. "I…" He started, but couldn't seem to finish.

"Dad, please…" Lilith begged. _"It's all my fault. It's all my fault…if only I had trained harder or listened to Skulker in the first place…he wouldn't be doing this if it weren't because of me!"_ The guilt she felt was almost unbearable as she tried to come up with every possible avenue this adventure could have gone down and ended somewhat happily. Just not like this…

"Remember Daniel, all of this energy has to go somewhere...I hate to do this to you, but I've been more than patient. I've waited for over forty years to get my revenge on Jack. Taking you as my son is the first step, making the legacy of the half-ghost mine. Then, when I find out where your idiot father is, I'll finally kill him and wed your mother, just as I had planned from the beginning. Your resistance was cute while it lasted, but I'm done waiting. I want you to tell me what I've wanted to hear." He monologued darkly.

Danny closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Okay. If that's what you really want, I guess I have no choice."

"You always have a choice dad…" Lilith reminded him. Danny looked at her with a gentle smile, as if to communicate his thanks.

Lilith helped him stay steady as he slowly sat up; still in pain he managed to look Vlad in the eyes. This was something that only could be done now, with all of his experience throughout the years. Even as he sat in defeat, his confidence did not waver.

"I want to let you know, Vlad that I'll never be what you want me to be, no matter how things turn out today." Danny said seriously. "For now you can have what you want, but if you do _anything_ to ever harm my family again-including my _real_ dad-I might just kill you."

Vlad sighed. "Very well fair enough I suppose. I'll just have to rearrange some details and have Jack sent off to prison or a mental institution or something, in the most painful way of course. I'll find a way to null the marriage contract somehow." He said almost offhand. "Now, I believe there is something you want to tell me?"

Danny glared. "I'll join you." He said curtly with no emotion whatsoever.

"You'll join who?" Vlad said enjoying the moment he'd waited for so very long to have.

The room was dead silent during the exchange. The tension could be felt in the air. For Lilith and Danny this moment meant the end of their only hope of true freedom. For Skulker, Box Lunch and all the other ghosts, it meant there was a new king, if only in a round-about way. Plasmius was powerful enough and now free to do whatever he wanted now.

For the time being the two ghosts forgot their hostilities toward one another. Box Lunch looked like she was on the verge of crying. Not for herself, she had never done that, but for her best friend's fate. Skulker was distressed also, but for different reasons. He hid it well.

"Yes…fa-" Danny was never able to finish the otherwise dooming phrase.

In the doorway, standing on top of the poor kicked down door, was Valerie Grey. She saw Danny for the first time in over fifteen years with Plasmius standing over him menacingly. As was per Valerie's character and due to her lack of accurate knowledge on the situation as a whole, she came to the wrong conclusion.

Skulker, knowing trouble when he saw it, grabbed Box Lunch by her overalls and phased them both through to another room before Valerie could spot them. The younger ghost had no complaints. She'd heard things about this ghost hunter…

It took Valerie only a moment to asses the situation and make a deduction. She narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to give you five seconds to get off Fenton, ghost. Otherwise I will destroy you, but not before I cause you so much pain, you'll be _begging_ for mercy…"

"Valerie…" Danny's face had a flood of emotions at once, most of which Lilith could not discern. He then laughed a bit and Lilith noted to ask him about it later. Valerie had saved them in ways she couldn't possibly have imagined.

"Ms Grey I presume?" Vlad said, trying to keep his cool.

"That's right Ghost, I take it you've heard of my reputation." Valerie said ego thoroughly inflated now, though she didn't let it get to her.

Vlad sighed heavily. As he did Sam and Tucker, who had trailed Valerie the entire time, finally caught up to her with heavy breaths. Sam was the first to see Danny and Lilith on the floor.

"Danny!" Sam and Tucker cried at the same time mostly influenced by habit, both rushing forward past Valerie. "Lilith!" Sam continued when she saw her daughter there too. She attempted to get through to both of them, but there was the tiny issue of Vlad Plasmius in her way.

"Well, this certainly makes things much easier for me. I'm sorry Samantha, but I'm not finished talking with your husband and daughter yet. You'll have them back as soon as I'm done. As for the rest of you, this has been fun, but the day is _mine_!"

"Mom!" Lilith tried to run out, but Danny grabbed and pulled her back despite him still being in much pain. There was nothing they could do at the moment. That, and Danny had decided long ago that any suicidal rescue missions would be his job.

Thankfully everyone dodged the first ecto-blast that was sent their way. Valerie began to fight back. Sam was finally able to get through to the rest of her family. Tucker came up behind her not long after.

"What happened to you guys?" Tucker asked as he helped Danny stand up.

Danny clenched his side. "The Plasmius Maximus is what happened. We can't go ghost for another twelve hours. Lucky you guys came; I was this close to having to join him." He stopped to catch his breath, talking and standing wasn't coming easy for him. "We're in between a rock and a hard place guys." He explained the situation in a nutshell.

Sam was helping Lilith stand up next to her. They exchanged a hug. "I'm just glad you're both okay. There's got to be a way out of here."

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault." Lilith said. "I've been making a lot of mistakes lately and they've gotten everyone into trouble."

"It's not your fault, Lilith." Danny said. "You did the same thing I would have done if I were in your situation. No one is blaming you."

"Except that I blame myself. People are hurt because of me!" She insisted.

"You're giving yourself too much credit, Lilith. This has been going on since way before you were born. It's not your fault." Sam scolded. "You'll be safe now; you're not alone in this."

Sam couldn't have imagined the kind of impact those words would have on her daughter. She embraced her mother tighter. "Thanks."

Though Valerie had not asked for help, nor would she ever ask as the threesome knew, the fact still remained she needed it. The battle between her and Plasmius had barely begun and she was already losing. Badly.

Tucker found the ectoplasmic rope Vlad had made earlier. He threw a look to Danny, who grinned in return. It was time to do some old school fighting back.

"Hey Plasmius, catch!" Danny called as he launched the rope like a lasso. It hit the target and both men pulled on it hard.

The moment of relief was short lived as Plasmius broke out of the weak restraints, forcing them to dissipate. "Your attempts are futile Daniel, give up now." Even as he said this, he was hit from behind by Valerie.

"You're talking too much Ghost. You might as well be the one to give up." She added.

"I've had enough of playing games." Plasmius said in a dangerous voice. He split himself four ways. The first quickly took Valerie down, leaving her too weak to get up. The second grabbed hold of Tucker and then Sam, leaving Danny and Lilith to only watch. The third held on to Lilith and the final original fired a single ecto-blast in Danny's direction.

Danny was so concerned and preoccupied with what was happening to his friends and family that he didn't even see it coming. He was down with a massive burn in his side, too painful to move, yet too painful to stay still. He heard several people cry out his name, but delirium gave way and could not place a voice to a face or name.

"Now," Plasmius began. "Please, by all means, finish what you were saying before we were rudely interrupted." Vlad's patience was wearing thin, as he had said earlier.

But Danny didn't have the will to speak. Yet, he didn't even need to. In his ghost form, Vlad felt an irresistible pull he could not escape. "No." He said in disbelief as he looked behind him. "Not now, not when I've finally won!"

Lilith smiled as the duplicate disappeared and she dropped to the ground. "It's not over until the thermos is capped." She said smiling as she saw what was happening.

Or in this case the vacuum.

"The Wisconsin Ghost has been detained; backup is requested still to stand by for assistance to wounded." Said the first man in the white suit through his communicator.

"Chill dad, why don't you give Mr. Fenton the vacuum? He'll probably want to deal with the ghost himself." Ami said, popping up beside the Guy in White. She sent Lilith a wink. The man with a shaved head looked down at his daughter, looking much more innocent than normal and sighed.

The other people in the room stared in complete shock about what was happening. Danny fell onto his back. He was exhausted and was glad to get some rest at last. It seemed to all be finally over.

"Normally we'd take the ghost into custody, but we'd like your opinion Mr. Fenton." Said Ami's dad. "He's been after your family for a long time. What do you want to do with him?"

Danny sent a look in Sam's direction, then Tucker's. He smiled. "I think if you leave him with me I can work out something." He said a bit evilly, a sharp pain in his side reminding him he shouldn't be doing anything at the moment.

The agent left the vacuum in their care, but turned and spoke before leaving. "Speaking of which, any of you know your way around the computers here? We're having some trouble locating a password and bypassing the other security measures."

Tucker stood up. "Sounds like I'm on duty. I'll catch you guys later." On his way out he helped Valerie stand up. She gave him a look of thanks as Ami's dad also helped her up and out the door. In the meantime, Ami pushed the rest of the next generation friends out of the room to give the reunited family some well-deserved time alone.

It was an odd sight. Danny; laying on his back and in severe pain, Sam; sitting down on the floor next to him and Lilith; kneeling next to her dad and holding onto the vacuum with Vlad Plasmius inside.

"You know…" Sam started. "It kind of seems anti-climatic to end this way. Weren't you all ready to 'take care of him myself'?"

Danny laughed weakly. "You know, for all the talk, for all the bravado and for all the personal vendetta, in the end, I really don't care. It's over Sam. It's _over_." He continued to laugh, but stopped when his side hurt from it. "And I think it's funny. I really do."

Lilith looked down at the vacuum containment unit in silent thought. Sam smiled. "So, what do you think we should do with the stalker?"

Sam smiled. "We could give him a taste of his own inventions. Lock him up in the stasis pods. See how he likes waking up ten years later." She suggested with a bit of anger in her voice.

Without waiting for further instructions or hints, Lilith took the container and placed it in one of the pods. She then closed it with a resounding hiss. She sighed, mostly in relief. Here her family was together, safe for the first time ever.

But perhaps, not completely.

"No. No, you are not going in there Tin-head! You leave them alone!" Box Lunch's distinct voice came from just beyond the wall. There was a moment of lowered voices speaking, then her voice came through loud and clear again. "I am not going home! Not after all of this! You can't just sit here and…what do you mean he gives you boxes?!"

"Oh no." Lilith said with an aura of heaviness. After the ending of one problem soon came the one she was dreading more. She stood up slowly as Skulker phased through the wall, her best friend notably not with him. Sam instinctively stood up as well. In horrid realization, Lilith remembered that her mother didn't know where she had been for the last ten years.

Danny leaned over on his side, an almost comical expression on his face. He gave off a mock laugh. "Wait, don't tell me. You're here to get my pelt while I'm down and out?"

"If you even try it I'll kick your tiny green tush right where it belongs." Sam threatened.

"Oh please. You can't stop insulting me for just one evening when I'm trying to help you?" Skulker asked, incensed.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Neither can you apparently. That was some wake-up call you gave me earlier." He said, stalling for time.

"But very enjoyable for me. You don't know how much I missed causing you pain." He said almost gleefully.

Danny sighed. "I love this conversation already." He said sarcastically.

Skulker powered up an arm gun as Lilith watched more or less on the sidelines. "Now my job is done. Although it would be beneath me to hunt you in your current state, I'm going to take you back to my lair. All of you." He said pointedly. "Just like I should have done in the first place all those years ago instead of listening to you ranting off about gorillas and what not." Lilith was confused as to why he glanced at her mother as he said that. "Then once you have recovered, I will hunt you down for your pelt."

"On your island, in a rigged scenario I'm sure." Danny glared.

"You wound me Half-ghost. I would never do such a thing. It would merely be…in my favor." Skulker said thoughtfully with an evil-intended smile.

He began to advance on the group. Sam looked around frantically, purposefully ignoring the comment she had made back as a teenager that may or may not have been directed at a certain purple-back gorilla. Lilith was panicking. Out of all of them, Danny, the one in the most danger, seemed to be the least concerned.

Lilith had a decision to make in a split second. Between two families. One she had never known until just recently. Gathering up all the strength she had inside of her, she made a decision to act.

"Skulker, stop it!" She pleaded, getting in between them. Time seemed to stop for a brief moment as Lilith considered what she would say next. She needed that extra moment.

"Please." She added softly as she saw her guardian's eyes grow wide. "You have so much more time to hunt. Does it really have to be now? So soon?" She said, playing on his logic.

"What other time would you have me do it? I agree with Plasmius on the one issue that I've waited far, far too long to let opportunities like this go to waste. Now step aside Ghost-child." He demanded. He tried to walk around her, but she met his stride. "Okay, now this is getting annoying."

"There will be other places and other times. I've learned to be patient, incredibly patient all of these years. I just wanted to be with my family without having to worry about having our lives in danger." She stated.

"You know me probably better than anyone Ghost-child, I won't let this pass."

"And you know me better than anyone else! You know this is all I've ever wanted…Please."

A dozen thoughts floated through everyone's heads. A few less passed through Danny's head as he'd had time to examine the situation …and things generally didn't go through his brain that well in the first place as Tucker would tease. Sam had to voice her thoughts though.

"Uh, what's going on here? I suddenly feel like there's something really big that I'm missing out on completely."

Danny shrugged, but his nonchalance earned him an extra burst of pain in his side. "Oh, nothing to big. Just that Mr. Hunter here decided to be generous for once in his life and somehow managed to raise our daughter."

"He WHAT?!" Sam exclaimed in surprise, wearing a look of astonishment.

"And there's nothing you could have done about it woman, so don't go karate on me again." Skulker said without much feeling.

"I know. I was just as surprised as you were. Although I should probably take back what I said about you being a horrible mother." Danny admitted, trying to break the seriousness of the situation.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Now that's just karma Danny. Nice work."

"You're blaming me?!" He said incredulously.

Lilith sighed heavily and turned back to her argument. "Please don't Skulker. I'll go back with you, but leave my parents alone."

"Didn't we just talk about this before you left? I told you I won't settle for anything less."

"Let's just go home and we'll talk about it there. You're already dead; impatience is not going to kill you. Let Dad recover in peace." She reasoned desperately.

Skulker seemed to think it over. "You'll be back home within the hour. If not I'll carry through with my original plan. You've found your parents. That is what you wanted. Now say good-bye… for now." Saying this he activated his jet packs and flew off.

When he was gone, Lilith turned slowly to face her parents. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

"This is the first time we've ever been together as a family." Sam said, stating the obvious. "We can't get separated now! An hour is plenty of time to plan out a strategy. We'll be prepared when he comes back and we'll stick him in the Fenton thermos." Sam persisted.

Lilith shook her head. "I have to. I've been living there almost my whole life. I'm not going to turn my back on it so fast. I owe him for taking care of me."

"You don't owe him your life." Sam said, crouching to her daughter's eye level. "I'm your mother. You belong here, with me and Danny."

"But I…" She protested.

"Sam…" Danny said gently, causing the two to turn their heads towards him. "Let her go. She has to do what she feels she has to do. She's gotten along without us for a long time. She's old enough to make her own decisions."

"I'm sorry mom." She said with a hug. "I don't know if I'll be coming back. I've wanted so long to know you both. I'm just glad I got this chance to see you as you both really are."

Danny struggled to sit up, but gave her a hug as she walked over to him. "Be careful. Be safe." He said softly.

With one final look Lilith exited the door. Upon leaving the room, she ran down towards the lab with the ghost portal, almost in tears.

Sam sighed heavily, kneeling beside Danny. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"It's not fair Danny. It never has been. It seems like we can't ever be happy." Sam said in a depressed tone.

"Hey, at least we're all alive and well. After all that's happened I'm glad to have you back. And besides, Lilith seems to know what she's doing." Danny responded, caressing Sam's face.

She took his hand in hers. "You're right…which is unusual." She said teasingly.

Danny looked offended. "What do you mean 'unusual'?"

Sam laughed. "Come on. Let's go downstairs. We'll get you treated." She helped him stand and leaning on Sam, he limped down the stairs.

Coming down the stairs Danny was met with an odd sight. The majority of their freshman class was hustling around in the main entryway.

"Was there a class reunion that I wasn't told about?" Danny asked, blinking innocently.

"Fenton?! You're alive?!" Dash exclaimed, rushing up to his former punching bag. Proving he was just as strong as he was in high school, the bulkier man lifted Danny up by his shirt collar. Danny had the face of his nervous and unsure fourteen year old self.

"Uh, of course I'm alive Dash." Danny said pathetically. "Why would I be dead? I mean, it's not like you thought I was a ghost or something. Hehe…" He laughed weakly.

"Haha, that's a good one Fenton." Dash laughed about just as weakly. "Thought you've been haunting me for all the stupid stuff I did to you in high school. Good thing you're NOT a ghost." Both men laughed at the idea. But neither could take it. Dash freaked out, realizing that the person he was holding might be a figment of his imagination. Danny freaked out due to his almost revealed secret. They both screamed and separated quickly, Danny falling down painfully on the floor next to Sam, who shook her head at the utter nonsense.

"Well this is the last thing I ever expected to see in my life. Former students returning from the dead." Lancer deadpanned.

"Please stop making the references to me being dead." Danny asked politely, with a bit of a nervous edge with a touch of exasperation to it. Sam helped him to sit on the steps at the same time.

"In any case, it's good to see you again Mr. Fenton, even if it is under somewhat odd circumstances…involving ghosts." He said suspiciously.

Danny's eyes widened under his former teacher's scrutiny. He didn't have time to come up with a good response. "Wow Danny, you've grown up." Paulina said off to his side, in her analyzing way. Danny blinked. Had Paulina just…? He looked at Sam. She was infuriated. His unsaid question answered, he sighed heavily.

"Hey, do you two know where Vlad Masters is? He should probably know that there are ghosts in his mansion." Kwan interrupted, saving Paulina from quite certain death.

Danny laughed. "Sorry to say, I don't think he's going to be able to come and talk to anyone. He's sleeping right now, and he might be sick. He said that no one should see him otherwise they might catch whatever he has. Doctors are coming in later to check on him. And… I wouldn't worry about the ghosts. I think he knows."

Kwan looked a bit skeptical, but took Danny's word for it. Paulina sighed sadly. "There was a ghost, but Danny Phantom didn't come to save me…." She said depressingly. "Maybe he really is gone…So much for my great news story." She pouted.

The main door to the mansion opened again. Jazz re-entered after having just gotten done talking with the Guys in White. Ami's dad had been more than generous due to his daughter's insistence. "Great news everyone, it's stopped raining! And the tow truck is here too."

Those who had arrived then left. Stacy said a good-bye to her aunt as Star hitched a ride with Kwan back to town, while Paulina and Mikey got the news crew back on the road to the studio. They were replaced inside by the four kids.

"Well, after all the excitement tonight, I'm ready for bed. " Lancer declared. "Same with all of _you_." He said pointedly at the kids, with faces of innocence. "Speaking of which…where is Lilith?"

"Nothing…_bad _happened to her…did it?" Stacy asked hesitantly, biting her nails.

"She…went back to the place she was living for a while." Danny filled in. "Its close by here."

"Oh no…She'll be coming back right?" Ted asked in worry. He was the first to catch on, as he had actually been there before.

"She just has some last minute things to take care of. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." Sam said, mostly reassuring herself.

**:-):-)**

Lilith didn't feel the same coming home this time. She would always feel safe and natural coming here, but this time something felt wrong. Something felt off.

She shook these feelings off. _"This is home!"_ She convinced herself as she walked briskly into the lair before she could have second thoughts.

Skulker was standing outside of her room with a stern look on his face. The door was open, inviting her inside. He had a metal cuff link in his hand. She gulped, as she recognized the device as similar to a tracking collar he'd put on Cujo for that year. She suddenly felt like that prized piece in the collection he insisted she was and wondered if that was his desired effect. Putting the memories aside, she went and sat down on her bed. Skulker noticed the depressed and confused look on her face.

"Well, one thing can be said about you Ghost-child; you're fiercely loyal." He said, leaving the door open and coming inside. He gave her an affectionate pat on the head, as he often had when she was younger. "But somehow, you're loyal to _everyone_." He said in annoyance.

"I know you're not happy with what happened, but I couldn't just stand there and do nothing. I'm not going to apologize for it." She said, not looking at him.

"I thought not. Do you know the reason why I agreed to your suggestion?" He asked sternly.

Lilith sighed heavily. "Just put the collar on me and be done with it. I don't like the suspense. Besides, it's late and I'd like to go to bed." She said stiffly. She tensed after she was done speaking and closed her eyes in anticipation.

Skulker looked at her in confusion, then back at the collar. "I was going to say I brought you in here to move your belongings. If you're going to live with your parents then its best you take some of this with you. I thought you'd want the collar as sort of a souvenir. I surely don't need all of this stuff."

Lilith was in a state of shock. "You…you're letting me go…?" The notion was almost unheard of to her. "You can't do that!" She said, still in denial.

"I came to a realization back at the mansion. When I found you I captured you too quickly. You were four years old; you didn't even put up a real fight. These events that have taken place have proven to me that you are now worthy for me to truly hunt. I keep telling you that's why I took you in."

"But…you're letting me go? That doesn't make any sense! You hunt me all the time over the island!" She said, completely flabbergasted that this was happening.

"No Ghost-child. That was merely practice. You were already my prisoner all of those times. We both knew the outcome before the day was done." Skulker explained.

Lilith still didn't believe what she was hearing. "No. You _can't_. _This_ is my home. I met my parents. I helped save them. But that's not _home_."

"And it will be still." Skulker reassured her. "As soon as I hunt and capture you in the real world. Although if you don't put up much of a fight, I'll just keep sending you back until I am satisfied. I've trained you for better than that."

Lilith was speechless. "But what about my dad?" She asked for lack of anything else to ask.

"As I have always said, his pelt will adorn the top of my fireplace. Absolutely nothing has changed, except for the setting of the hunt. Although," He said in afterthought, "Don't take too much. With my superior skills you'll be back in here before you even know it."

Lilith's astonished face slowly shifted into a twitched smile. Even though this latest news had been a shock to her, everything was going right. There was no real fight over where she would live. Her parents were free and alive. She had friends in both worlds. She felt as if nothing could ever go wrong.

She got up and a bit reluctantly started packing a bag of clothes and personal items. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" She asked again.

"Yes I'm sure!" Skulker yelled. "Now get out of here before I _do_ change my mind and put _your_ pelt at the foot of my bed!" He pointed out the door.

But she didn't leave quite yet. She gave him a quick hug and spoke from outside the cage before he could yell at her for it. "Thank you. You may not want to admit it Skulker, but you're a good ghost. Don't change." Smiling, she ran off, leaving her guardian in between speechless and wanting to yell and defend his position.

"I would say I told you so, but then you might hunt me down or something. Wouldn't want that to happen, you're busy with the halfas as it is." Box Lunch sat on the dresser, casually filing her nails. "You just can't say no to her, can you?"

"Where do you keep _coming_ from?!" The self-proclaimed Ghost Zone's greatest hunter yelled at the child ghost. Had his pride not been severely threatened, it would have almost been funny that this child was the only being who could ever successfully sneak up on him multiple times. He wasn't even sure if there _had_ been a time when he knew she'd be showing up.

"I just represent your good side I guess." She proclaimed, floating down triumphantly and folding her arms across her chest. "Seriously, where would you be without me?"

"A lot better off than I am now for sure. And since when do you proclaim to be the good side. _You_ don't even have a good side." Skulker pointed out.

Box Lunch considered this. "Hm, I suppose I don't." She quickly recovered her spunk. "But I'm here to congratulate your decision. I'm very proud of the progress I've made with you over the years."

"What in the Ghost Zone are you getting at Pest?" He asked; the face of confusion.

She sighed. "If this had happened even five years ago, there's no way you would have let her go. You did what was best for her. That's all you've ever done and I'm very proud of you for it." She explained. "It's partly thanks to my subliminal messages to your mind you know." Box Lunch said as she preened.

"'Subliminal messages'? I'd say it was more like in my face demanding sort of thing." He said with a comical look on his face. "I'll get you for all of that someday." He promised her.

"Hey, you did a great job." Box Lunch admitted. "We all have life lessons to learn and yours just happened to take a longer time than it should have. Besides, you raised Lily without even having practice with those flour sack babies." She complimented, looking pleased with herself.

It had the wrong effect on the hunter ghost. He whipped out just about all of his major artillery on his suit and aimed it at the child. "_Never_" He said in a very threatening voice. "Mention those flour sack children _again_…"

And Box Lunch decided quite wisely, for once in her existence, that she wouldn't.

**The End**

…**or is it…?**

With a thud, the ghost came out of the containment unit and into a decent sized ghost proof cell.

"Wisconsin Ghost has been securely detained. Awaiting further instructions." Agent X spoke into his communicator.

The 'Wisconsin Ghost' looked around his surroundings, most surprised. "What is the meaning of this?' He demanded.

"You have been relocated from Mr. Masters's mansion to the secondary Guys in White headquarters. While you're here, we're going to perform lots and lots of painful experiments on you. Nothing personal, you're just a hazard to society. Enjoy the accommodations." The agent said he couldn't help but smirk at the look he got out of Vlad Plasmius.

"You can't do this to me!" Vlad screamed as the agent walked away smugly. "I'll have my vengeance! I'll get out of here and sue you for all you've got!"

"Just don't go sucking any ectoplasm!" The agent added one last jab at his appearance. Vlad yelled several obscenities at this, but the agent was long gone, too late to hear his threats. Vlad was most perturbed at this.

But as he began to think his frown turned into a sly grin. "You think you're very cleaver Daniel. But you've once again proven that you can not defeat me on your own." He smirked. "Enjoy this time that you have. I'll be back sooner than you think and then your family will belong to me." He finished evilly.

But before he could plot his escape more, he felt a very chilling presence behind him. "Will _you_ be my friend?" Frightened, Vlad turned around to see his pajama -clad cellmate.

"Oh Fudgebuckets" He said dejectedly.

**A/N: Well…there you have it. The end of the main storyline. Not really my best and favorite chapter, but it makes me eager to see what you all think.  
**

**Many, many thanks to: hermie-the-frog, Meagisnttheworld, katiesparks, The Sleep Warrior, dessyweird51, BloodPhantom, DP fan and Beyonce's Angel925 for the awesome reviews last chapter! My love for your feedback knows no bounds.**

**There are questions left to answer. I'm still open for any questions you all may have after reading this. What happened to Jack and Maddie? What's the deal with this aging thing? How is Clockwork involved in Danny's future? How does Danny deal with work and ghost fighting? How many horrible puns can Unrealistic make with these extra scenes? All this and more in the Epilogue!**

**Until Next Time,**

**-Unrealistic :-)**


	16. The Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Vlad:**_(About Sam and Tucker)_ They're running out of time, you know.  
**Danny:** Time? That gives me a great idea!  
_(Scene changes to Clockwork's tower)_  
**Clockwork:** No, it's a horrible idea. I'm the ghost of time, not the ghost of miracle cures.

**:-):-)**

"Isn't there anything interesting around here? I'm bored to death!" Complained a young boy. Though had he been called that in person he surely would have objected. "I'm eight years old, I don't need a babysitter." He growled as he sat down in a huff.

"That's for your parents to decide, not I." Said Clockwork, easily just as annoyed. This boy would say most anything to get a rise out of anyone. Very dangerous considering who he was. "Would you rather be helping clean the house for your sister's graduation?" He asked rhetorically.

The boy grimaced. "Still doesn't change the fact that this place is boring. You're the master of time, right? How about you send me back in time to see the dinosaurs or something?" He suggested with little enthusiasm.

"You know I can't do that." Clockwork said flatly.

"You can't or you won't?" The boy persisted with a glare.

Clockworked sighed heavily. If the boy's father had not been so desperate he would have never allowed this. He kept himself calm only with the knowledge that the Clock Tower would still be in one piece after this fiasco was over.

Somehow

"How about this, if you want to see time powers then I'll give you a real time slide show of the past." Clockwork compromised. It would do the boy some good to see some of the past he couldn't remember.

After much thought, the boy spoke again. "I guess. I probably won't enjoy it though. You sure you don't have any video games?" He asked in complaint.

"Just watch." Clockwork said. He clicked his staff and the portal to the past opened up before them.

"_Here's to new beginnings!" Lilith said, raising her milkshake to the middle of the booth inside the Nasty Burger. _

"_And the end of high school!" Ami yelled in celebration as the five of them clinked their deserts together. Various 'yeses' and 'whoots' were heard more from Ami's proclamation than Lilith's._

_Lilith sighed as she took a sip before speaking again. "Well, I at least tried to sound professional about it." _

_Ted put his arm around his now eighteen year old friend. "Sorry, if you had spent all twelve years with us you'd be saying the same thing."_

_Lilith laughed. Everything was as it should be. "Yeah, I can't believe we're graduating already. Seems like I just entered Casper High as a freshman yesterday."_

"_Not me. It took long enough. I'm grabbing my diploma tomorrow and running away before they can take it back!" Cam said. He got a laugh out of the rest of his friends._

"_So, what are you guys doing after high school? College anyone?" Stacy asked for conversation._

"_University of Wisconsin-Madison." Lilith said immediately. My grandparents went there so I'm getting a really great Alumni scholarship through there. _

"_Air Force" Ami said, leaving it at that. _

"_Playing football at Ohio State." Cam said, taking another sip of his milkshake. _

_Ted whistled. "What was Ohio State scouting in Amity Park for?" He said with wide eyes. _

_Cam shrugged. "Me, obviously." _

"_Someone's on an ego trip…" Stacy muttered. Through Ami's 'careful' and 'delicate' mentorship, she was much better at disproving the common notions about blonds. "In any case, I'm going to New York. There's an art school out there."_

"_Do you happen to know what school you're going to out there?" Ami asked in an exasperated tone._

"_I…really don't remember the name…" She admitted sheepishly. There was a universal face-fault. And yet, Stacy would still always be Stacy. _

"_How about you Ted?" Lilith asked, not one to exclude anyone from the conversation. _

"_I have no real plans." Ted admitted. "I have an uncle in Chicago who's going to try and get me hooked up with a recording agency. If I'm really desperate I'll take out some loans and go to college for music."_

"_Well, at least you have a back up plan." Ami said. "My dad keeps saying that there's the perfect job for me in Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado, but as far as I know all they have there are weather nerds and fly boys." She said, obviously confused. _

"_I'm just glad to be this far." Lilith said, closing her eyes. "If it weren't for you guys I wouldn't be doing anything after high school." Her friends didn't comment. They knew what future she spoke of. Their freshman year she had finally been united with her parents. Had she not, she would have been destined to live her out her in the Ghost Zone, locked up with no hope of ever seeing anyone ever again._

"_I really am thankful for all of you." She said again. "I really can't say that enough."_

_Stacy sighed. "We know, Lily. You can stop saying thanks now. You've been saying it so many times for the past four years. Counting it all would even give Mr. Holland a headache." Many things could be said about the advanced placement mathematics teacher, but he never got tired of math._

"_You know it's not a problem Lily." Cam said. "You know…" He continued suggestively. "There are those select few couples who marry their high school sweethearts…"_

_For a period of nine months, Cam and Lilith had dated. It had been the adventure of a lifetime. They had parted recently due to both of them going to different colleges, but remained good friends. _

_But oh, had there been chaos. Dash had fainted frequently, Danny was jumpy and nervous often and Skulker had tried on numerous attempts to neuter the poor boy (He continued to be extremely protective of Lilith). Cam had been pretty shaken up by the incidents, but Lilith had gotten that straightened out fairly quickly. _

_Sam and Janet were just peachy with it. No complaints at all. They both had laughed at their husbands' misery and had gone on talking about Goth poetry. The two had become good friends, finding shared interests in almost every part of their lives._

_Lilith pushed Cam back into his designated seat playfully. "You wish lover boy." She teased. _

"_So, do you think we'll all still see each other after this? With going separate ways and all?" Ted asked worriedly. _

"_Of course we will! We didn't go through everything in the last four years together for nothing!" Ami confirmed. "It may be a while, but we've got email. Be sure to keep in touch. Right, Cam?" She accused. _

"_Hey! That was sophomore year! You can't blame me for something I didn't have any control over!" He defended. That summer he had gone to football camp and had neglected to respond to any of the letters sent by the other four. They hadn't let him forget it._

_So that got them all talking about the old days and remembering the good times. They laughed and joked for a long while sitting in the booth. It was moments like these that bonded them closer together._

_Somewhere in the conversation, the subject of Lilith's past life was brought up again. "You know, I haven't seen Skulker around in a long time. Whatever happened to him?" Ami asked her._

_Lilith opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off before she could say anything. Across the street the sound of windows shattering was heard by the entirety of the restaurant. It was quiet enough that the group could now hear the banter._

"_Will you just give it up?!" Yelled the taller figure of the two. Danny Phantom was at it again, once again protecting Amity Park from all things dead and ghostly._

_Although, this particular fight, he was more worried about his own safety._

"_I will not rest until your pelt is above my fireplace Half-ghost." Skulker said with determination as he shot another barrage of missiles at Lilith's dad. _

"_Can't you even make up your mind about where you want it?" Danny shouted angrily; tired of the same chase day in and day out. This earned him the net, which he phased through easily enough._

_Yes, they were at it again. _

_The figures whizzed by in a blur. Lilith sighed deeply as they left, no longer the center of attention. _

"_Never mind." Ami retracted her question, resting an elbow on the table._

"_He's usually just after Dad." She explained. "But sometimes he goes after me and Dave for a change in hunt."_

"_Awe, no, your little brother is too cute for that." Stacy cooed. _

"_Mom said they're going to wait before putting him in kindergarten. Dad wants to make sure he has good control over his ghost powers before being off on his own." Lilith told them. "It's so cute though, he keeps making little animal figurines with his ecto-energy. I didn't even learn how to do that until I was seven. He's only three."_

"_Four this August right?" Ted asked. Lilith nodded her head in response._

The conversation shifted from there and Clockwork clicked his staff and turned to his charge for the moment. "So, did you like it?"

David glared at the ancient ghost. "So what if Lily and her stupid friends were talking about me? I don't see how that has to do with anything."

"You needn't be so self-centered; I was more trying to move on to the college aspects. Your sister has quite the adventure in medical school coming up." Clockwork said, purposefully trying to get the boy interested. They had a good two hours to wait until Danny came back to pick him up.

"Let me guess, you're not gonna tell me?" David said with a yawn. He lay down in the air in a not-caring way. "Why do I even bother? Dad only sent me here because he doesn't want to deal with Box Lunch again."

"_I take cash only, large bills, fifteen dollars an hour." She said, laying out the terms._

"_How about you take cash at five dollars an hour." Danny bartered. He and Sam were going to be late for parent-teacher conferences if he didn't get this settled soon. "You're a ghost, what do you need money for?"_

"_Same reason you do Mr. F. Okay, I can see you're a hard man to please, so I'll give you my babysitting services at fifteen dollars an hour, but you can pay me in smaller bills as well."_

_Danny face-palmed. "Okay Box Lunch, I'll make a deal with you. Since I've known you for a while, I'll pay you ten dollars an hour and you can use the phone to call Lilith at school." _

"_You drive a hard bargain Mr. F. I'll have to take it." She said floating in the entryway. "Shake on it?"_

"_Fine." Danny said grudgingly as they shook hands. _

"_Pleasure doing business with you, sir! Enjoy your night out!" She called after Danny as Sam came down and they both walked out the door to the car._

"_What possessed you to get Box Lunch as a babysitter for David? Aren't you worried that a ghost might pop up and try to kidnap him again? You know I can always stay home. You're the one who really needs to be there." Sam asked._

"_It'll be fine. She'll talk the ears off of any ghost that tries it. She's done it to me plenty of times…"_

Clockwork sighed. "Well, if you'd like I'll show some of your own past. I'm sure you wouldn't remember this." He clicked his staff again and the portal to the past began to play another scene.

"_I'm going to kill him!" Sam screamed. For Tucker it was eerily similar to the last time he'd helped her in the same situation and he had been dreading it from the moment roughly nine months ago when they'd broken the news to him. It was quite possible that he had taken the news much worse than Danny had. _

_Sam was giving birth. Again. _

_Sure, Danny had been excited about it. This time he actually knew the kid was coming. Lilith was happy she'd have a little sibling and Jazz was thrilled to the point of exhaustion. _

"_Sam, you can't…" Tucker began._

"_Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" She yelled at him, eyes red and bloodshot. Danny had learned the hard way that Sam didn't take pregnancies well. He was gone constantly getting strange foods that she had cravings for at the time and all of them had to be ultra-recylo vegetarian of course. Certainly not to mention her insane mood swings._

_One such time he had been gone, Skulker had paid her a visit in hopes of finding his primary prey there. Lilith had been out with her friends that night for a bout of late night movies. So, Sam was six months pregnant, waiting impatiently for her much desired food and alone with a ghost who wanted her husband dead and her daughter behind bars. _

_Yeah._

_Danny had come home that night with bags of groceries in a very panicked state of mind. He'd gotten stuck in traffic. Imagine his surprise when he came home to Sam shaking the Fenton thermos angrily and Skulker's battle suit in mangled pieces in the living room._

_But the past digresses._

"_Put your back into it Danny! I mean it!" Danny diligently continued to rub her shoulders as hard as he could, but even that wasn't hard enough. "I want drugs!" _

"_Sam, you just got a dose, the nurse said you can't have any more until the baby is born." Danny said gently. Tucker cringed. Danny didn't realize what he was getting in to…_

_She grabbed him by his tie. "I. Want. Drugs." She insisted dangerously, their faces close enough so Danny could smell the nachos she'd had prior to going into labor. Had anybody ever wondered which parent had given Lilith ghost powers, it seemed unclear now._

"_Sam, lay back down. Now, I know it's been a while since you've done this, but remember you've got to breath." The nurse told her patiently. Sam did so in a huff, but not before glaring back at Danny to keep rubbing. _

"_What about you Tuck? Aren't you supposed to be running out of here screaming? It is a hospital…" Danny asked his friend, he was more than a bit confused._

"_Ah, hospitals." Tucker waved it off. "I've discovered that they aren't so bad."_

_Danny's eyes boggled. "You're kidding right?"_

"_Dude…" Tucker said in confidence, out of the hearing of the females in the room. "This place is a modeling agency. Look at the nurses man!"_

_Danny's eyes slit in annoyance. "Only you, Tucker. Only you."_

_Sam seethed in pain. "In case you two haven't noticed…I'm having A BABY here!"_

"_Just a little more, Sam!" The nurse urged. Sam let out one last scream and then her huffing was replaced by a baby's cry. "Congratulations to both of you." She said to Danny and Sam as she held the baby and dried him off. "It's a boy."_

"_I knew it…" Sam said under her breath. "Let us see him." She said quickly, just as she had with Lilith almost sixteen years ago. One of the few good things about being in stasis for ten years was that Sam's body had yet to catch up with her actual age. It was easier to have another baby when she felt thirty rather than forty. Although Danny and Tucker had speculated that since the stasis machines weren't perfect that the two would reach their real ages in a small amount of time. This body growth catch-up had been wreaking havoc with this second pregnancy. _

_The nurse smiled and gave the baby to Sam. _

"_I'll go get Lily and Jazz from the hall." Tucker said, then leaving to give his two best friends their space with their newborn. _

"_Thanks Tuck." Danny acknowledged, but couldn't keep his eyes off of the baby boy that Sam now held. _

"_You wanna hold him?" Sam asked as Danny was in la la land. "'Cause in about five seconds he's going to go invisible or something."_

_Wordlessly Danny held on to the newborn. He looked at the eyes first. The little boy shared the same light blue eyes with his father and sister. True to Sam's word, Danny soon found that he also shared the other green shade of eye color. However, unlike Lilith, the boy did not use any powers right after his birth._

_Words really couldn't describe how Danny felt. It was similar to when he'd held Lilith for the first time in Vlad's laboratory basement. It was true he had been the one to first speculate that any children he and Sam would have would receive his ghost powers, but it still saddened him that they now both shared his responsibility of fighting ghosts, protecting Amity Park and if the situation called for it, saving the world. The old saying about power and responsibility was true._

"_Well, what do you want to name him?" Sam asked smugly, but looking rather tired. _

"_I thought you were all over that?" Danny asked. _

"_I named Lilith. It's your turn." Sam granted generously._

_Danny thought for a moment. "How about David?" He pondered. "His initials will at least be the same." He shrugged. "And…I just a good feeling about it."_

"_David Fenton it is then." Sam agreed, before lying back down from exhaustion._

_It was then the cavalry arrived. _

"_See, Lily, now you have a little brother to annoy just like I did!" Jazz said excitedly as Lilith scooted past her aunt, Danny blatantly ignoring his sister's comment. "How are you feeling Sam?" She asked._

"_Eh, a little better now that the birth is over with." She admitted. "Just very, very tired is all."_

"_Well, that is to be expected. In fact, seventy-five percent of mothers of newborns…"_

"_Please Jazz, no statistics…" Sam groaned. "No talking…"_

"_Can I hold him Dad?" Lilith asked Danny off to the side with a bit of hesitation._

"_Sure, watch out though, he could accidentally use his ghost powers at any time." He forewarned gently. Lilith took her little brother into her arms and smiled. Her family was finally together, something that just under two years ago, she had never thought possible. _

"_He's so tiny." She said in soft amazement for lack of anything better to say._

"_You were that small too when you were born." Sam said, sitting up slowly. _

_Danny looked around as if just realizing something. "Wait, where's Tucker?"_

"_He got caught up at the front desk." Jazz said sorely._

_It took Danny a moment to remember Amanda, the thirty-something year old receptionist. He sighed deeply. "I see." Even as he spoke his ghost sense went off. _

"_Dad?" Lilith looked up at him with a tired face. The same thing had just happened to her. She could have sworn she had seen the same mist come out of the baby David's mouth. _

"_It'll be five minutes." Danny said with a heavy sigh, transforming on sight. "Can't they just leave us alone for one day?" _

"_Hey, at least it was just the Box Ghost when I went into labor." Sam commented lightly, although the incident had been anything but. She had just about destroyed the poor box obsessed ghost. The only thing that had saved the Box Ghost was the next contraction. _

"_I could go see who it is. They usually listen to me at least." Lilith suggested, giving her newborn brother back to her mom. _

"_As much as I would appreciate it, this is my job. Besides, I'll be back before you know it." He promised, phasing through the ceiling. _

"_But, dad…!" Lilith protested. _

"_It's no use arguing with him. Once Danny has his mind set on something, there's no changing it. He sees ghost fighting as his sole responsibility. It's going to be hard to convince him to let you help. Understand Lily he just wants to protect you." Jazz told her niece, putting a hand on her shoulder. _

"_Hey, Sam, how are you doing?" Asked Doctor Fraiser as she came in. "The nurse said the birth went well."_

"_As well as the last one." Sam said, giving Lilith a loving look. _

"_Right, I remember that one all right." She laughed. "I just wanted to drop my congratulations to you and…where is Danny?" She asked, rather puzzled. _

"_He's working." Lilith covered quickly with a smile. "He'll be back in about five minutes." She said with confidence. _

Clockwork stopped the 'movie'. "So, what did you think?" He asked, almost fearing the response.

David narrowed his eyes. "You know, if I cared, it probably would have been useful. It just proves that even when I was a baby Dad didn't ever pay attention to me."

"Your father is a busy man. He risks his life every day to protect you and the town. He tries, he really does." Clockwork said in his first charge's defense.

David gave the time keeper a skeptical look. "Yeah, sure he does." He said in a smaller voice, a bit sad this time and much less aggressive.

Clockwork smiled. Progress was occurring! "Here, maybe a recent event will help you find new light. It's only from a few months back." He clicked his staff and the past events started to roll by once more.

_It was him verses them. Everyone was depending on Danny to do his job. He was underappreciated, yes, but it didn't change the fact that people counted on him. If he wasn't there to guide and protect them in this place, then no one else would. He had been assigned this responsibility, but hadn't necessarily wanted it. _

_There were 25 of them. One of him. He had never faced such incredible odds before. This was his sworn duty. He stood behind a desk and wrote his name on the blackboard so they would know and respect it for once. _

"_Okay, kids, calm down!" Danny yelled to his classroom of third graders. The little ingrates were climbing on desks, throwing paper airplanes and being as loud and as obnoxious as they possibly could._

_This was not how Danny wanted his first day of school to be. Even his first year back to work from captivity hadn't been this bad!_

_Yes, as if high school and college hadn't been bad enough Danny had become an elementary school teacher. _

_At forty-eight years old now, with two kids of his own and Sam still there to keep him sane, Danny was finally settled back in to normal life. His hair has started to turn white years ago and was halfway there. It could at least be said that teaching was much preferable to rotting in Vlad's laboratory basement. He couldn't have asked for anything better than what he had. _

"_Hey, guys, settle down back there! That stuff is breakable! And Skulker needs to stay in the water!" He shouted to a few kids in the back who had started climbing on the shelves and looking were evilly at the fish tank that held Danny's ingenious idea of a class pet: a tadpole._

_Danny grinned wickedly at this own inside joke. He did until the kids started throwing stuff from their desks at each other. "Hey, stop it! You could poke someone's eye out!" Danny said in a panicked voice. He stepped forward to stop one girl, but a friend of hers grabbed Danny's tie and ended up pulling him down. _

_He landed in something soft. He groaned. With his luck, it was probably something that would stain. He looked down on his nice white shirt and sighed in depression that it was a slice of cherry pie that a student had apparently brought for lunch and had been thrown around before the eating could be done. _

_This was a nightmare. His own personal prison of little kids he'd made for himself when he'd decided to entertain the thought of becoming a teacher. _"I hope Walker's happy."_ He thought miserably to himself. _

_Danny gritted his teeth. It was time to take his last ditch effort at controlling the kids. He never liked doing it, but sometimes it was the only way._

_He walked out of the classroom and into Mr. Jackson's class next door. "Hey, Rick, could you just keep an eye on the kids for a sec? I've got to clean this off." He asked. _

"_No problem Dan, I'll get right on it." Danny couldn't help but laugh. It was good to have his name. Vlad had used his full name quite enough for his liking and only his close friends and family still called him 'Danny'. _

_Once in the men's restroom, Danny changed into his alter-ego. As old as Danny was now, his enemies had at least stopped with the childish nicknames. He was just 'Phantom' to them now, too old to be called a child and still too young to really be a legend. He recalled having a conversation with Skulker about that very name issue. The poor hunter ghost was upset that he couldn't use his old nicknames anymore, given that Danny was decidedly not a child anymore._

_Chuckling at the memory, Danny then created a duplicate of himself. He changed back to his human form, but the copy stayed in ghost mode. He turned intangible quick to disperse of the cherry pie on his shirt. His ghost copy turned invisible as he walked back to his classroom. _

"_Thanks, Rick." Danny told his colleague. Rick, a man a bit younger than Danny smiled and nodded, heading back to his own room to prepare for his kids coming back from Music. _

_As soon as Rick had left, Danny cleared his throat. "Kids, today we have a very special visitor and he has a message he'd like to share with you." He said calmly. _

_The kids ignored him for the most part. Danny had to duck behind his desk to avoid the projectiles. But if he didn't have battle scars from this little skirmish it wouldn't be that interesting, which is why one of the students then nailed him in the forehead with an apple. _

_Danny clonked out and rubbed his head, reaching in vain with shaky hands to clutch his desk and stand up. He couldn't figure out why the kids were acting this bad! He shivered once from the cold air._

_Wait, cold air? It was the beginning of the school year!_

_Suddenly, Danny had his answer. "Okay kids, if you won't listen to me, maybe you'll listen to a good friend of mine…" He said dangerously. _

_His duplicate appeared on cue. The kids all looked at the town hero in speechless awe. The wonders of third graders. Danny smiled, but had his ghost copy speak instead._

"_I hear you've been giving my friend Mr. Fenton a bad time." He said through his duplicate. It was oddly like using a dummy. "Now, if all child ghosts would leave the room, Mr. Fenton can start the lesson and you guys can start having some real fun." He said pointedly. _

_The cold air immediately left the room. Danny smirked. Youngblood would be getting a visit later on. _

"_Okay, kids, lets start with math. I'm going to hand out your workbooks and…" He never got to finish._

"_Hey, you're Danny Phantom!" One outspoken boy yelled. "Can I have your autograph?!"_

_This started up a chorus of voices saying 'Can you take me flying?' 'Do you have a girlfriend?' and the frequent request to use his powers._

"_Now class, I don't think we want to bother Mr. Phantom any more. He's a very busy ghost." Danny stressed the word 'busy'. The kids, being who they were, paid no heed. _

_Needless to say, Danny never did get what he wanted done that day. But at least the kids were happy and listened to him._

_After school got out he spent and hour cleaning up the classroom, getting ready for the next day. This included a very possible return visit of a certain ghost. _

_Then he looked at the clock, he thought of Clockwork for just a moment, as he usually did when looking at the instruments of time. _

_Then he saw what the time was in reality and he jumped up and ran to his car in a state of frenzy. _

_**:-):-)**_

_Danny ran out to the football field and stopped at the sidelines, trying to catch his breath. _

"_Hey, Fenton, I've been waiting for you to show up!" Danny heard the familiar call; a call that was his nightmare for most of middle school and high school. Dash Baxter was on him in a moment. The only thing that calmed Danny's nerves was the fact that they were both aging adults now, not juveniles out for petty revenge. _

"_Dash, I just came to…"_

"_Come on, the kids have been waiting for you to show up so we can have our scrimmage." The bulkier man said. "If you're going to be my assistant coach, you've got to start showing up to more practices!"_

"_How many times to I have to tell you Dash? I am not your assistant coach! I know next to nothing about football!" Danny explained in an exasperated tone. _

"_Dad, what are you doing here?" asked an annoyed voice. David, decked out in a football uniform, eyed his father suspiciously. _

"_I came to pick you up. Your mom wants us home by…" Danny was interrupted by a friendly slap on the back courtesy of Dash. _

"_You've got a great kid Fenton, best running back I've seen in a long time. He's only in grade school now; think about how good he'll be on the high school level." He complimented overenthusiastically. _

"_That's very nice of you to say Dash, but we've got to get going. There are other parents here too." Danny said. They were in a hurry. Lilith was flying out that night for Wisconsin and he at least wanted to make it to say good bye. _

"_One play, Fenton, it's not 5:00 yet! We've still got thirty more seconds!" Dash protested. _

_Danny groaned. "Fine! Okay! One play though. No more, no less."_

"_That's the spirit Fenton!" Dash said happily. "Always knew you had it in you! You take the white squad, I'll take jerseys." And there he left Danny without a clue as to what to do._

"_You have no idea what to do, do you Dad?" David monotoned._

"_Eh, no I don't." Danny admitted. "Why don't you run the play and I'll sit back and look like I'm doing something. You know way more about this than I do."_

_David sighed heavily. "'K. Hey, guys, let's go for one more play!" He yelled out to the rest of his squad. He turned to his dad one more time. "You'd better come out to the field with us if you wanna look like you're doing something."_

"_Err…right…" Danny said, following his son out on the field. _"Man, the last time I was running across a football field I was running from the Guys in White…"_ He thought, thankful that he had erased everyone's memories of that particular event._

_The kids ran the play. Dash, satisfied with the practice, called it to an end. Tired, and with his gear still on, David jumped into the passenger seat of the car. Danny took the drivers seat and they headed out towards FentonWorks._

"Uh, Clockwork?" David interrupted the flashback. "Do you think maybe we could skip this part…?" He asked nervously.

"Often the best way to learn from your past is to deal with it head on." The master of time said, but felt the pain the boy was feeling. "Maybe you'll get something new out of it this time around."

"No, Clockwork! I don't wanna see it!" It was too late.

_The ride back to their home began with silence, noise only coming from David taking off his football equipment and throwing it in the back. Neither had anything to say to the other, but Danny nevertheless tried to break the ice. "You know, we never seem to really talk anymore."_

"_We don't have anything to talk about." David said curtly, staring out the window. _

_Danny sighed. "It's about the ghost fighting, isn't it?"_

_He received no response. Knowing his efforts were futile at this moment, he turned his full attention back to driving home._

_Halfway through the drive home, a familiar blue vapor came out of both male's mouths. Danny felt like cursing at the inopportune time. Quickly, he pulled the car over to the curb and put it in park. David looked up to his dad expectantly._

"_Stay here. Don't move from that seat and don't go ghost." Danny instructed, taking off his seatbelt, and at the same time changing into his ghost form. _

"_But I can help!" David protested; eagerness in his eyes._

"_No." Danny said sternly. "I don't want you getting hurt. You're too young and you don't know what it's like fighting ghosts."_

"_I don't know what it's like because you've never taken the chance to show me! You've never even given me a chance to really use my powers!" David continued to argue. _

"_We'll talk about this after we get home. Now don't leave the car. If you want to help go fish out the Fenton thermos from the backseat. I'll be back for it in about ten minutes, okay?"" With that final order, Danny phased out of the car and onto the street to find his foe. _

_Danny entered the street and looked around for the ghost nearby. Out of nowhere a green figure pounced on him, dragging him down to the street. Danny grimaced. It was rush hour and he didn't want to take any chances. Pushing the green figure off of him, they both took to the sky._

_Then Danny saw who it was. "Bertrand? What are you doing here?" He interrogated. _

"_Oh, just causing the usual mischief as always. Or maybe I'm just seeing how long it takes for you to stuff me in your little thermos." The shape shifter teased before lunging at the ghostly hero again._

"Fenton thermos…car…David!"_ Danny thought in a rush. He struggled harder with Bertrand as he realized that his normal accomplice was nowhere in sight. And it scared him._

_Back in the car David watched the fight with a mix of jealousy and rage. This wasn't the first time a situation like this had occurred. The two of them would be out doing something, usually coming home from school, and a ghost attack would break out. Danny would go fight leaving his son behind in the car for his 'own safety'. _

_It was driving David nuts. He had ghost powers too, why couldn't he fight as well?_

"_Awe, if it isn't the newest little freak to join the party…" The boy turned to see Penelope Spectra in the driver's seat as his ghost sense when off at the same time. _

"_What do you want, Spectra?" He growled. A bit of anxiousness inside of him realized that while his dad was busy with Bertrand, he may have a fight of his own soon…_

"_Oh, someone's been a busy boy doing research. Then you should know why I'm here…" She purred. Her human form was much more intimidating than her ghost form and knowing she fed off of weaknesses and subsequently misery, he tried to show none._

"_If you're going to try and kick me while I'm down it's not going to work." He said simply. He knew she didn't know him that well. She wasn't really a regular ghost like Skulker or Ember._

"_Oh, no. Your father is much more miserable than you are. Especially when he's worried about all that weight on his shoulders and with a little one waiting only a few yards away…" She cooed._

"_I'm not little! I can defend myself!" In his head he knew it was a mistake to say. But the way she had said that…his dad was way too happy to be miserable. That and he was sick and tired of people implying that he was weak. That he was the youngest half-ghost. That he wasn't powerful enough. That he could never prove himself…_

"_A little spitfire. It seems to run in the family. Why, does daddy never let you fight? He must know that you're pretty weak." She said, egging him on._

"_I could beat you up!" He yelled in response. Without a battle cry, he changed into his ghost form. He was angry. _

_Spectra had done exactly what she had aimed to do however. She pulled out a little device and snapped it around David's wrist while he was charging up for a larger attack. He suddenly found he couldn't use his powers._

"_What did you do?" He demanded. _

"_Insurance. Your dad has always been my favorite patient, but it's time that you and I had a little session of our own. You sister was never very compliant, but with you around I get my second shot at digging into the mind of a child who has been part ghost their whole life. That little bracelet is going to keep you in your ghost form so we can take you back to my lair."_

_David fell back into his seat as Spectra started up the car and locked the doors, leaving no avenue for escape. His chest tightened slightly. Okay, so he was being kidnapped. That was nothing new. Most of the ghosts would do that if only to get at his dad._

_That's all he seemed to be good for. Bait. He was so easy to pick out; all they had to do was find the kid that looked exactly like his father. There was absolutely no doubt they were related. He was such an easy target it made him sick._

_Back outside, Danny saw the car come to life. Instantly he knew what was going on. They'd been through this before with different ghosts, but the same motive._

"_David!" He yelled before Bertrand pounced on him again from behind. _

"_You really are getting worse at this, aren't you?"_

"_Spectra seems to really be rubbing off on you, doesn't she?" He said in pain._

"_For the better, of course." He grinned. _

"I'll never be of any help…I only make things worse…" _David thought to himself, watching the scenery pass by. _

// If you want to help go fish out the Fenton thermos from the backseat//

_And there it was; his one chance to get out of this mess himself. Seeing that Spectra was keeping her eyes on the road he looked back and saw that it was his arms' length away. In one fluid motion he grabbed the thermos and opened it on Spectra, with a scream she disappeared and he quickly capped the thermos, feeling rather proud of himself for his accomplishment._

_But there was still the car. And it was still moving. Without a driver. Thinking fast, he jumped into the driver's seat and pulled the car over to the side of the road and into the ditch. None of which happened smoothly. He then yanked the keys out of the ignition. _

_David sat back to relax. The ordeal was over. _

_After Danny had finished beating Bertrand to a pulp, sending him tail between his legs back to the Ghost Zone, he went on a frantic search for his son, and soon found him. _

_The car wasn't really in too much of a wreck. But Danny was much too worried about the occupant inside to notice. He forced the door open and calmed down some as he saw his son safe, unharmed, holding on tightly to the Fenton thermos._

"_Are you okay?" Danny asked softly. _

"_I'm fine." He answered shortly, adrenaline gone and already going back to treating his dad as usual. _

"_I see you managed to snag Spectra. She…didn't say anything really bad to you, did she?" He asked worriedly. _

"_I've been kidnapped before. This doesn't exactly top my list of scariest situations ever." He said with little emotion, still refusing to look at Danny._

_Danny sighed. "The bracelet cuts off your ghost powers?" He asked, though he didn't really need to. There was a nod for a response, so Danny simply blasted it off. "Alright, I'm going to pull this car back on the road. Start up the car for me, it'll make things easier."_

_Together they managed to get the car on the road and soon Danny was back to driving them home. "Your mother is going to be furious we missed dinner…" Danny joked lightly._

"_Yeah, I'll bet." Was the unenthusiastic response. _

_Danny sighed heavily. "Can't you say anything to contribute to the conversation?"_

"_You want me to talk?" David asked dangerously. "Fine, I'll talk. I'll talk about a lot of things. How I'm frustrated with you not letting me fight ghosts with you, even though it's painfully obvious that they target me anyway! I've been kidnapped more times than I can even count! I'm tired of being the only one who can't do anything! Even mom helps you fight sometimes and she doesn't even have ghost powers!"_

"_Dave, we've been over this a thousand times, I don't want you getting involved in this! You're in second grade; I want you to be able to concentrate on school and living a normal life. Dealing with the ghosts is my responsibility. It's something you shouldn't have to deal with!" Danny shot back. _

"_You call this right here a 'normal life?! I just want you to stop treating me like a little kid!" And that was the end of that enlightening conversation._

"It's true. I never like blowing up at Dad like that but..." David protested to Clockwork. "That day at school was really frustrating. And then another kidnapping attempt…I was just ready to be done with it all…" He confided. "And the _only_ reason I'm telling you this is because I know you won't tell Dad straight up."

"Fair enough." Clockwork relented, with a hint of a smile.

"We haven't talked much since then. I think he's still mad. But I'm still not ready to talk." He said decisively, but wavered just the same.

"Only time will tell. And speaking of time…it's about the time your father said he'd come pick you up."

David sighed as right on cue they heard the engine hum of the Specter Speeder. It came in and rested gently inside the Clock Tower.

"Ready to go Dave? We're going to take some family photos soon." Danny said, getting out of the vehicle.

"Yeah, I guess so." He said, floating over into the passenger's seat, and then changing back into his human appearance.

Danny turned back to his old mentor. "Thanks Clockwork, I really do appreciate it."

"Don't worry about it Danny. We had some great bonding time." He replied knowingly.

With another 'thank you' the two headed off once more for home. "Hey dad…" David started, guilt from the past few months laying heavily on him. Danny cut him off.

"You don't even have to say it. I should be the one apologizing." Danny said slowly and thoughtfully. "I know we put you in sports to deal with your aggression, but I also know having your powers and not being able to use them is frustrating. So, I've decided that I'll start helping you train to use them better in battle." Danny consented.

"Are you serious?! Really?" David couldn't hide the joy in his voice.

"It took your mother and your sister to convince me that I was being way too overprotective, but this is just training to start out with, no battles just yet!" He warned. This didn't deter his son's attitude, which had taken a turn for the better.

Danny sighed. _"Why does Sam always have to be right about these things…?"_

**Turning the clock ahead…two months…**

New York was not the first city on her list to go to medical school in. Upon her graduation in the Pre-med field from the U of Wisconsin, she'd received tons of letters to go to many places. But there was one reason she chose here out of all the others; a very convincing and sobbing letter from Stacy claiming she needed a roommate for a penthouse she had just acquired. Knowing she'd at least have a place to live with someone she knew, at twenty-three years old she took to medical school in New York.

"_Okay, time for Lilith Fenton to take on the world!" _She thought positively. "Taxi" She yelled. As usual for this time of day, when her practicum was over, the traffic would seem halt just for her it seemed. She twitched visibly. Normally she would have gladly 'gone ghost' and flew, but Stacy being who she was had found that nice little penthouse right next door to the world's foremost leading experts in ghost hunting.

I think we all know who I'm talking about.

She'd met them briefly of course, when they'd suddenly burst in the day she had moved in claiming the levels of ectoplasmic energy had risen dramatically.

To make things worse, due to a horrible mix up in the legal papers, the school thought she was coming to finish her studies in paranormal medicine. Lilith didn't know how they could make such a mistake, but she had been given Dr. Spengler as an academic advisor and that was that.

Was there even such a thing as paranormal medicine? With Dr. Spengler in charge she was sure there somehow was.

Sighing heavily she walked to the campus. The hospital was only a block away. Walking tiredly into the science building and taking the familiar turn to the right, she found Spengler, Venkman, and Stanz all watching some sort of experiment take place as grad students carried about their duties. Knowing Zimmerman and Oscar must be back at the old fire station; she sighed and walked up to them.

"Hey guys, is there anything good going on today?" Her greeting spooked all three men.

"Lilith, don't do that, we work with ghosts." Ray said, holding a hand over his heart as it pounded.

"Right." She said in response, thinking about the horrible irony. "So what are you guys up to now?"

"It's a…" Egon started. Peter cut him off.

"It's a very complicated experiment that I'm a medical kid like yourself wouldn't be interested in hearing the details of."

Lilith licked her lips. "Oh really now?" She challenged.

It was a game they played. Egon had been thoroughly impressed at how much she knew about the paranormal and ever since they'd been trying to get her to change her focus. The guys were old that much was clear. They had one replacement for sure, and that was Oscar, Peter's step-son. At the moment, Lilith had agreed to take on some odd jobs at the station, albeit reluctantly. But what they really wanted was for her to agree to put on the proton pack once they all retired.

That and pair her up with Oscar. Which seeing as how he was complete klutz while around her; it was safe to say he had a crush on her. Unfortunately for Lilith, the last thing she needed at the moment was a romantic relationship. Remembering what Skulker had almost done to Cam was reason enough to wait. It was a situation she wouldn't have been able to escape had she not been so busy with school however.

After catching up with the men for about an hour, traffic had loosened up enough that she could get back to the apartment. Upon arriving home, Lilith encountered a typical sight.

"You sure it looks okay?" Stacy asked unsurely. She had a whole art studio set up in the place, so much that there wasn't much room for anything else.

Their most frequent guest, Box Lunch, was critiquing her newest painting. "You could probably use a little more glow in the eyes. But not too much, she only gets a lot when she's angry."

Lilith dropped her bags on the couch. "You're using _ghost me_ as your subject?" She asked inquisitively.

"You're here, I'm here, and I've got no inspiration!" Stacy wailed.

Lilith sighed as her friend calmed down. "Hey, are the Ghostbusters back in their station yet?" Box Lunch asked. Once they were, she usually had to leave. "I swear you picked the worst penthouse in the entire city of New York…"

"I'll live." Lilith said dejectedly. "Naw, they won't be back until ten at the latest."

"Oh, Oscar's coming over for dinner tonight!" Stacy said from behind her canvas, a hint of mischief in her voice. "And you'll never guess who called today." She teased.

Oscar's nightly visits were a normal occurrence, as well as Stacy's partnership in trying to pair them up. "Who?" Lilith asked, throwing her shoes off.

"It was Ted! He's moving to New York too! He found out from your parents we were both here, and I guess he's got a job with a recording company here." She said excitedly.

"That's cool. Do you know when he's coming?" No one had seen Ted for a while, so it was kind of exciting.

As for Ami…well…

"_Okay people this mission is probably the most dangerous and we'll be facing our trickiest foe ever. We've defeated the Goa'uld, we've defeated the Replicators and we've defeated the Copy Machine…" A collective shudder came from the occupants of the room. "And most recently the Ori. But now…" General Landry continued. "We face off against our greatest rivals, the NID."_

_Passed the norm of SG-1, a young female airman raised her hand excitingly. "Yes, Airman Colt, what is it this time?"_

"_Is there going to be lots of danger and flashy explosions?" Ami asked._

"_Sir, if you would allow me to answer that one?" Colonel Mitchell interrupted. He turned to Ami. "Yes."_

_Ami grinned as the rest of the team sighed deeply. All in a days work. She was here because she had been instrumental to the defeat of said Copy Machine. "I freaking love this job…" _

"He didn't say." Stacy continued back in New York. They'd all lost contact with Ami a while ago. It was almost as if she didn't exist on the planet anymore… "But Cam's going to take some time off work and help him move. I told him we'll be there."

"I said I'd help too, just as long as my dad doesn't find out. You _know_ how he is with boxes." Box Lunch said dryly.

"Just as long as all the other ghosts stay in Amity Park and far away from here. Who knows how they'd react to our crazy neighbors next door. Speaking of home…weren't you supposed to look after David tonight…?" Lilith asked her ghostly friend.

Box Lunch paused. "Uh…maybe…? Okay, okay, you still got that mini ghost portal in the bedroom?"

"Go right ahead, see you tomorrow!" No one knew about the little ghost portal except for the two residents of the apartment and Box Lunch. Lilith had found the remains of her grandparent's original portal at college and had fixed up. Now it worked just fine. And _this time_ when it started up, no one got ghost powers from it.

It was all just a normal day in Lilith's life. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

**Rewind…One week after Lilith left to go live with her parents…**

"Hey Mom, where do you want me to put this box?!' Lilith yelled upstairs. Sam was having a war with the house, while Danny was having a war with the lab. Or more specifically the ghosts in the lab. Jazz was doing some major dusting in the living room.

It was move in day. They'd been gone for so long Sam and Danny had to buy a bunch of new stuff for the house. The lab was fine since Lilith had been taking care of it, but the rest of the house was in shambles.

"Put it in the kitchen!" She yelled back down. As she did, Danny floated up from the basement lab, tired and ready to sit down for a while. But before he could change back to his human form was when the roar of the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle graced their ears.

"Hold it right there Ghost!" Danny was so completely shocked at hearing his father's voice for the first time in…many, many years that he forgot who he was for just a moment. Out of nowhere a sticky net shot out pinning him to the wall.

Lilith and Jazz stood on their side of the fray with wide eyes. Jazz was the first to recover and say something. "Mom! Dad! You're home?!"

"Jazz, sweetie!" Maddie said, giving her daughter a hug. "It's been so long, I'm so glad to see you're well. Oh, I'm sorry; I don't think I've met you before…" Maddie said, looking in Lilith's direction.

"Mom, this is Danny and Sam's daughter, Lilith." Jazz explained. Maddie squealed at the fact that she had a granddaughter and gave her a big hug as well. "And could you tell me why you have Da-err Phantom stuck to the wall? I thought we agreed that he was a_ good_ ghost…" She scolded.

"Yes, I'd like to be unstuck please…" Danny said helplessly from the wall.

"Not a problem!" Jack said, releasing Danny from the wall. "That was just for old times' sake! We'd never go tear apart our son in law!" He said, giving Danny a hearty pat on the back, making Danny's comparatively frail body fall on his face.

"Your….WHAT?" and "You're not going to shoot me?" Danny and Jazz asked respectively.

"Oh, don't think we haven't noticed!" Maddie said sweetly. "We'd always wondered why you were so protective of him Jazz. We didn't realize it until we met your daughter though. Oh, honey, if only you would have told us when you were younger…we would have never chased our future son in law, even if he is a ghost."

There was heavy confusion in the air, so Maddie continued. "We met Lily while we were still in Europe." Lilith gulped nervously at this, as Danny noticed. "I was sorely confused at how a ghost could reproduce, but when I took a look at Lily's ectoplasmic signature, it all made sense!"

"…What made sense mom…?" Jazz asked in dread.

"We found Fenton DNA!" Jack supplied. "She told us Phantom was her dad and so there was only ONE way she could have Fenton DNA in her!"

At this explanation, Danny and Jazz paled instantly. "You think…that we…" Danny sputtered. "I need to go to the bathroom…my stomach doesn't feel well … I feel so dirty…" He muttered as he flew up the stairs at amazing speed.

"Ghost puke! I gotta get a sample of that!" Jack said, but Maddie pulled him back before he could get far.

"But this is wonderful! Both kids are married and we have two grandkids!" Maddie said thrillingly.

"Ha, hey Lilith, did you know you've got a cousin named Lily?" Jack said, putting an arm around his granddaughter.

"Uh, yeah grandpa…that's so funny that we have such similar names…" She laughed weakly.

Jazz was holding up with the news slightly better than her brother. "Wow, it's so great you two are back…" She said, almost in despair. "You know, Sam is upstairs if you want to go see her."

The two raced up the stairs to go visit their daughter in law. Jazz and Lilith both sighed in relief. Danny came back down the stairs, still in ghost form so as not to raise suspicion with his parents. Besides, he had more ghosts to catch.

"Danny, you _really_ need to tell Mom and Dad someday…" She scolded. "I think they'll accept you." She said almost sarcastically.

"Hey, think about it this way. At Christmas, I'll get double the presents every year as long as they don't know I'm the same granddaughter." Lilith said to lighten things up.

"At least they won't shoot at me…although the whole idea really sickens me…right Jazz." Danny pleaded.

Before Jazz got a chance to respond, Sam came running down. "Danny, Jazz, your parents are being nosy again! I love them to death, but they've got to stop the hugging…" She seethed.

The company downstairs laughed as Danny changed back to his human form and gave Sam a kiss on the check. "Is that too much personal contact for you?" He teased.

"With you, it's not enough." She kissed him back.

"Ew, gross, get a room." Lilith complained, turning away in play.

Jazz just laughed at the display. "Well, I guess we can safely say that _this_ adventure is over."

"I'm sure it's not the end." Lilith said in thought. "Just the beginning of something new."

**:-):-)**

**Tucker:**_(While giving back the dollar bills he got for his baby-sitting service)_ Gonna miss you, Alexander... and Andrew... and especially you, Benjamin! _(Takes down "Flower Power Daycare Service" banner)_  
**Sam:** Cheer up, Tuck, you can still visit Lilith on weekends.  
**Tucker:** Sam, it's just a flour sack.

**The End**

**A/N: Yeah guys, it's just a flour sack. It's over. I don't like how Clockwork turned out in this chapter, references and blatent crossovers abounded and the amount of humans is annoying to me, but it's done and since its the epilogue I'm really not too picky about it. And several thousand apologies for the cheesy ending, but I make up for it in the best, most awesome ending scene ever. Seriously, you guys agree that Jack and Maddie would make a conclusion like that? So now everything ends with them believing not that their son is part ghost, but that Danny Phantom is their son in law. A perfect quirky ending. :-) I've been wanting to write that scene since August… (My second favorite part is Danny being Dash's assistant coach and the Stargate scene…).**

**I know the bit with David was long. (David Kaufman….Danny's voice actor…haha…). And I know I introduced him rather quickly, but I wanted to try my hand at what it would be like for a kid growing up with Danny as a dad. I had bits to a sequel planned with him, but that would have been waaaay too much and I'd like to move on to other projects.  
**

**Overall, I'm very happy with this fic. This is the longest fic I have ever written and the most popular. I'm just proud of myself for finishing it! There are little grammar and spelling things and lines I wish I could add that I find all the time rereading this, but I'm still happy. The only thing I regret was one scene that I could fit in. At one point before she met Danny I wanted Lilith to talk to Dan in the thermos. More angst stuff. But alas, it didn't work out. But if I can continue to enjoy reading it over and over again, I know it was worth writing. **

**And I also know through all the reviews, the favorites and the alerts you guys have put this fic on. I cannot thank you all enough. A giant thanks to all those who have reviewed at one point or another. I can't tell you how much I enjoy it when I see that I have a new review.**

**Fic started: July 25th, 2006**

**Finished: December 26th, 2006 **

**Thank you and I hope to see you all in some of my future projects! Now that I have a good handle on the DP characters working with an OC, I feel more confident moving onto non-OC stuff. Thanks for sticking with me until the end. **

**-Unrealistic :-)**


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